Request for Applications Critical Skill Shortages Initiative
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
Governor Blagojevich’s executive order 2003-11 consolidated several of Illinois’ workforce training programs into the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). This was done to help, “…strengthen Illinois’ system of workforce and economic development to build a skilled and globally competitive workforce throughout the State.” DCEO’s mandate is to closely align workforce programs to meet the needs of Illinois’ employers for skilled workers, while ensuring that the populations (including “at-risk” populations) served by various workforce programs gain access to jobs that lead to economic self sufficiency.
The challenge, therefore, is to link economic development initiatives and workforce programs in such a way as to achieve both of these important goals. DCEO is undertaking this initiative as one strategy to help achieve the desired linkage between workforce programs and economic development. Planning for this initiative will proceed on a regional basis. DCEO, in cooperation with the Governor’s Office and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) recently designated ten (10) geographic areas of the state as Economic Development Regions (EDRs). The regions were designated based on economic and labor market factors that make them logical areas for economic development and workforce planning purposes. The ten regions cover the entire state. DCEO will make use of the EDRs as the geographic basis for planning many of the department’s economic development programs and activities. The regions will also be the geographic basis for planning this initiative.
FEATURES
Download the Critical Skills Shortages Initiative Request for Application (CriticalSkill.pdf).
The goal of this initiative is to align regional workforce programs to provide a reliable supply of qualified job seekers for critical skill shortage occupations that pay a good wage and provide benefits.
Download the Critical Skills Shortages Initiative Power Point Presentations & LMI Handout that were presented at the Governor’s Conference Linking Economic and Workforce Development.
Download the CCSI Question and Answer Document (CriticalSkillShortagesInitiativeQA.pdf)
Download a CSSI question and answer document that was compiled as a result of questions submitted by the Illinois Workforce Partnership and questions asked during October information sessions.