Hire Frequency

Host George Wright, CEO of The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, is joined by City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado, as they discuss their intentional partnership to connect the 60,000+ City Colleges students with career opportunities. Discover how this collaboration between the workforce and education systems aims to provide upward mobility and equity for Chicago's students. You'll also hear about the importance of higher education in gaining skills and stability in the job market, and the critical role of partnerships between workforce development and educational institutions in bridging the gap between students and meaningful career paths.

Join host George Wright, Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, as he discusses the organization's new "Level Up Your Career" and "Power Up Your Business" campaign. Joining the conversation are Vanessa Lopez Jackson, a leader at The Lemon Ad Stand creative agency which developed the gaming-themed campaign aimed at promoting the region's ten American Job Centers. Also featured are Lisa Maentz and Clelia Ferro, leaders at AJCs in suburban Cook County, who share how the centers provide services for career seekers and employers, evolve to meet changing needs, and foster ongoing relationships with local businesses. Tune in to learn how this collaborative effort makes workforce development accessible through innovative marketing and vital community partnerships to ensure the region's public workforce system is no longer the area's "best kept secret." Visit https://levelupajc.org/ to learn more.

Tune in for a conversation with George Wright, as he reflects on his first 90 days as CEO of the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership). George reveals his top goals for The Partnership and discusses the moments that have stood out to him in his first 90 days as CEO. He also shares his personal journey and how the timeless values he learned from his parents inform his leadership approach.

Meet Partnership staff who have found the magic sauce: they have fulfilling careers informed by their experiences and it's their job to help you find yours. Host Trina Whatley and guests Michael Cannon, Cynthia Rodriguez, and Joshua Williams discuss the programs that they lead and how they connect with the communities that they serve. Tune into this end-of-the-year episode of The Partnership's Hire Frequency podcast!

In this special episode of Hire Frequency, Susan Massel, of The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, brings a microphone to hiring fairs in suburban Cook County. The Partnership is working with agencies in its network to host events all around the suburbs, funded by Cook County, from Elk Grove Village to Skokie to Chicago Heights and Cicero. Tune in to hear voices of individuals looking to take the next step in their careers, employers and suburban Cook County elected officials throughout June and July 2022.

 In this special episode of Hire Frequency, Susan Massell, Chief of Communications and External Affairs at the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, brough a microphone to a series of large and small job fairs in suburban Cook County. The Partnership has worked with agencies in their network to host fairs all around the suburbs, from Elk Grove Village to Skokie to Chicago Heights and Cicero. Tune in to hear voices of suburban Cook County elected officials, employers and individuals looking to take the next step in their careers, throughout June and July 2022.

The Partnership celebrated Women's History Month 2022 with guest speakers Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's Chief of Diversity and Strategic Development Terry Miller, and three tradeswomen who benefitted from the Illinois Tollway's investment in ConstructionWorks, an important program designed to link job seekers with opportunities for rewarding careers in Illinois' transportation-related construction industry, Fatima Perez, Taneen Ball, and Susana Dominquez. Symbol Training Institute's Founder and Executive Director Diana Peters also joined us along with Symbol Training Institute graduate trainee Dinora Navare. Join us as we uplift women in roles in sectors that many of us couldn't have imagined only a few years ago. Hear firsthand about the challenges faced and be inspired by these experiences discussed in candid conversation!