Human & Public Services

Sector Analysis

HPS Sector Overview

Key takeaways from the landscape analysis for the human and public services sector in the Chicagoland area:

Some entry-level roles, specifically around human and social services, don’t require formal degrees and can be accessed through basic industry credentials.
Middle-skills occupations are supervisory and managerial in nature and typically require bachelor’s degrees.
The most common industry credential is the Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor (CADC), issued by the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association.
For most criminal justice roles, requirements for middle-skills roles start at an associate degree, with exceptions for those with robust military training.

Overview of Private Training Landscape

Training is predominantly conducted by postsecondary institutions, starting with basic certificate programs and progressing through associate degrees.
In protective services, entry-level roles start with private, non-WIOA training (e.g. security guards). Military service and/or community college are required for any other role.
In social services, few non-profit organizations conduct CADC training, which only requires a high school diploma.
Community health worker is a new role being certified statewide and is not yet fully embedded in the workforce training landscape.

Recommended Improvement Strategies for HPS

Based on the landscape analysis, the EdSystems team proposes the following strategies to both prepare residents for living wage roles in the human and public services sector and meet labor market demands:

Ensure entry-level positions aren’t “stopping out” at these roles. Build the capacity of partner nonprofits to provide alumni supports to help individuals transition from Gateway Occupations to High Priority Occupations. Pilot alumni supports through philanthropy, but ultimately integrate into WIOA structures.
Community health workers should be considered HPS roles (vs Health Science). These roles have a greater trajectory in outreach, mental and socio-emotional counseling, and government services than they do in clinical roles of patient care and nursing.

HPS Priority Occupation and Promising Credential Areas

MIDDLE-SKILL CREDENTIAL AREA	OCCUPATIONS	TYPICAL ENTRY EDUCATION	CHICAGOLAND WAGE $/HR	CHICAGOLAND PROJECTED GROWTH (10 YR.)	ANNUAL CHICAGOLAND JOB OPENINGS
Human Services	Social and Human Service Assistants	Some College	$18.51	6.0%	868
	Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors	Bachelor’s Degree	$23.71	13.0%	752
	Community Health Workers	High School + On-the-Job Training	$22.75	3.6%	133
	Social and Community Services Managers	Bachelor’s Degree	$35.48	6.2%	237
	Child, Family, and School Social Workers	Bachelor’s Degree	$23.76	0.9%	643
Criminal Justice	Security Guards	High School + On-the-Job Training	$15.48	3.0%	4,013
	Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers	Associate Degree	$39.48	1.05%	1,075
	Correctional Officers and Jailers	Associate Degree	$31.04	-8.1%	255
	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	Bachelor’s Degree	$29.74	-1.2%	107