Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

DUE TO REDUCED FEDERAL FUNDING DCEO IS NOT ACCEPTING INQUIRIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR NEW INNOVATION PROJECTS EXCEPT THOSE SERVING DISLOCATED WORKERS IN THE SECTORS LISTED BELOW.

Individuals seeking WIA services, including occupational or career training, should contact their local workforce investment area staff to inquire about WIA.

Your local contact information can be found at www.illinoisworknet.com.

The grant opportunities listed on this page are designed for eligible organizations to conduct innovation projects and are not intended to serve individual WIA customers.

Individuals seeking WIA services, including occupational or career training, should contact their local workforce investment area staff to inquire about WIA.

Your local contact information can be found at www.illinoisworknet.com.
The grant opportunities listed on this page are designed for eligible organizations to conduct innovation projects and are not intended to serve individual WIA customers.

Innovation Grants for Expanding Employment Opportunities for Illinois Veterans
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is working with state agency partners in conducting innovative pilot projects to expand education, training, and employment opportunities for Illinois veterans. DCEO is seeking innovative projects to address one or more of the following priorities:

• Expanding awareness and commitment of Illinois employers to hire Illinois veterans
• General or cluster-based bridge programs (e.g., healthcare) to improve access to and success in postsecondary education and training programs supported by veterans education benefits and other federal and state-funded programs. Priority will be given to programs that prepare veterans to enter high-demand and high-skill jobs.
• Targeted workforce development programs to meet the basic skills, education, training and employment needs of service-connected disabled veterans and other veterans who have significant and multiple barriers to employment. Priority will be given to programs that prepare veterans to enter career pathways leading to high-demand and high-skill jobs.

DCEO will base these opportunities on the recommendations of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board’s Veterans Task Force, still underway. DCEO will not fund these opportunities until those recommendations are complete.

Innovation Grant for Developing the Healthcare Workforce in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is working with state agency partners in conducting pilot projects to explore different strategies for expanding access to high-demand healthcare career opportunities. DCEO will be funding pilot projects with industry organizations, local workforce investment areas (LWIAs), community colleges, and non-profit organizations that address how to train and place more skilled workers in regions with documented shortages. DCEO will focus on the following types of projects:

• Addressing regional nursing shortages through strategies that expand access to low-income and disadvantaged populations facing barriers in entering nursing programs.
• Expanding access to high-paying career opportunities for low-skill, low-income individuals in long-term and community-based care
• Developing and pilot-testing career cluster-based healthcare bridge programs delivered through community colleges or non-profit organizations.
In all of these investment areas, priority will be given to those organizations that have strong employer partnerships with immediate hiring needs and a proven track record in the targeted areas.

Innovation Grants for Developing the Manufacturing Workforce in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is working with state agency partners in conducting pilot projects to explore different strategies for implementing the recommendations of the Manufacturing Task Force of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board. As part of this effort, DCEO will be launching a series of pilot projects to explore new models for preparing the manufacturing workforce in critical shortage specialty areas identified by the task force including metalworking and welding. DCEO also will be launching pilot projects to expand manufacturing bridge programs.

DCEO will be funding pilot projects with industry organizations, local workforce investment areas (LWIAs), community colleges, and community-based non-profit organizations that address how to train and place more skilled workers in these targeted specialty areas in regions with documented shortages. Priority will be given to those organizations that have strong employer partnerships with immediate hiring needs in the targeted skill areas. Priority also will be given to those organizations that are committed to expanding training capacity and are proposing proven or innovative approaches to training and employing skilled workers in these targeted specialty areas.

Innovation Grants for Developing the Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) Workforce in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is working with state agency partners in conducting pilot projects to explore different strategies for implementing the recommendations of the Transportation and Logistics Task Force of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board. As part of this effort, DCEO will be launching a series of pilot projects to explore new models for preparing the TDL workforce in critical shortage specialty areas identified by the task force including warehousing operations and truck driving. DCEO also will be launching pilot projects to expand TDL bridge programs.

Innovation Grants for Developing the Information Technology Workforce in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is working with state agency partners in conducting planning and pilot projects to explore different strategies for expanding access to information technology career opportunities. DCEO will be funding projects with industry organizations; local workforce investment boards (LWIBs), community colleges, school districts, and community-based non-profit organizations that address the recommendations of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board's Information Technology (IT) Task Force.

Priority will be given to those organizations that have strong industry-education partnerships already in place and have the industry and education leadership to move any planning or pilot effort quickly to full implementation. Priority also will be given to projects that use the IT Task Force career cluster and pathways framework and address the recommendations on: (1) building the vertical dimension into IT education, (2) developing stronger business and general skills, (3) promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, and (4) building industry-education partnerships. Priority also will be given to organizations that address the recommendation to develop model high school programs. Finally, priority will be given to projects that expand access to low-income youth and adult populations and populations facing multiple barriers to enter the career pathways in the IT Task Force framework including the use of adult bridge programs

Regional Partnerships for Addressing Critical Workforce Shortages in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is working with state agency partners in providing grants to regional economic development and/or industry organizations to develop and implement workforce development solutions to critical workforce shortages in skilled, high-wage occupations in key economic sectors of the state and a region within the state. DCEO will give priority to sectors already identified by the Illinois Workforce Investment Board—healthcare, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, information technology and agriculture. However, DCEO will consider other sectors targeted in regional economic and workforce development initiatives that have statewide implications. DCEO also will give priority to proposals that offer solutions that include strategies to expand access to economic opportunity for low-income populations.

DCEO will not fund research and planning and will only consider proposals that seek to develop and implement solutions to clearly defined shortages that have the potential to achieve tangible results. DCEO will provide funds to regional economic organizations and/or industry organizations that have established or will establish partnerships with local workforce investment boards, community colleges and other stakeholders critical to the success and sustainability of the initiative. DCEO also will consider providing funds to a public or private non-profit entity serving as an intermediary or fiscal agent to establish an industry-led initiative. DCEO will provide one-year grants that can be renewed based on performance and the capacity to sustain the initiative after two years of funding.

Bureau of Workforce Development - Notice of Intent to Award WIA Grants (non-ARRA)

Innovation Grants for Research on Barriers to Employment Faced by Re-Entry Populations

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is working with state agency partners to provide grants for the study and research of issues related to challenges and barriers faced by the re-entry population in finding employment in key sector occupations.

DCEO is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers on this website may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment by calling TTY (800) 785-6055 or 711.