INNOVATE Chicago

INNOVATE Chicago is GCI’s seminar series aligned with our Employment and Economic Development research cluster.  Focusing on the latest and most creative strategies for economic development throughout the region, GCI facilitates conversations among researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers at the forefront of making Chicago a better place to live, do business, and live a quality life. INNOVATE debuted in Fall 2013.

The Illinois Workforce and Workforce Policy for the Next Decade

The INNOVATE Chicago session featured Howard Wial, Executive Director of UIC’s Center for Urban Economic Development, speaking at the Great Cities Institute on October 16, 2013, about the future of Illinois’ workforce and workforce policy for the next decade. Wial examined common assumptions that future jobs will require significantly more formal education and that employers face widespread skill shortages. While he agreed that Illinois’ workforce will become more diverse, he challenged the idea of a broad education-based skill shortage, noting wage stagnation across education levels and projected growth in both high- and low-skill service jobs. He emphasized stronger workforce policy, employer training, industry partnerships, and better links between education and work.

Advanced Manufacturing, Innovative Partnerships, Advanced Communities: The Chicago Experience

In this INNOVATE Chicago session, Erica Swinney and Bill Vogel of Manufacturing Renaissance discussed their work with Austin Polytechnical Academy, a Chicago public high school designed to connect students with advanced manufacturing careers. They emphasized that manufacturing remains a vital source of good jobs, but that education systems are often disconnected from industry needs. Austin Polytech addresses this gap through career preparation, employer partnerships, nationally recognized machining credentials, leadership development, job shadows, and alumni support. The speakers highlighted manufacturing as a pathway to college, skilled employment, entrepreneurship, community wealth creation, and neighborhood economic development, particularly for young people in historically disinvested communities.