About Middle-Skills Pathways in Chicago

To determine how education and workforce partners can advance middle-skills pathways in Chicago, Education Systems Center is conducting a deep landscape analysis of existing pathways that lead to industry credentials and degrees associated with priority occupations. To date, we have completed eleven analyses in the sectors of:

This project is designed to:

  • Inform those involved with system design and implementation
  • Identify policy barriers to effective program progressions for populations of focus
  • Connect to the Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance Progressive Pathways initiative
  • Inform employer engagement strategies
  • Inform the funding community of gaps and strategic investment opportunities

With Support From

This project is supported by Bridges to Brighter Futures. Funded through the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, Bridges to Brighter Futures is a collaboration between Kinship Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust.

Advisory Committee

Stakeholders from across the public, private, and non-profit sectors to serve as Advisory Committee members to help guide, advise, and shape the direction of the project. Our current members are:

  • Veronica Aguilar, City Colleges of Chicago
  • Matt Bruce, Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance
  • Julie Burnett, City of Chicago
  • Jessica Cañas, Enlace Chicago
  • Mari Castaldi, Chicago Jobs Council
  • David Castro, Southwest Organizing Project
  • Michael Deuser, Chicago Public Schools
  • Morgan Diamond, Young Invincibles
  • Stacia Edwards, City Colleges of Chicago
  • Austen Edwards, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
  • Leah Eggers, Youth Guidance
  • Erika Ehmann, One Million Degrees
  • Idara Eno, America Needs You
  • Rebecca Estrada, City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services
  • Robin Ficke, World Business Chicago
  • Maureen Fitzpatrick, City Colleges of Chicago
  • Jennifer Foster, Illinois Community College Board
  • Emily Goldman, Partnership for College Completion
  • Mark Harris, Discovery Partners Institute
  • Caleb Herod, Chicago Community Trust
  • Pam Johnson Davis, OneGoal
  • Lisa Jones, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
  • Peggy Korellis, City Colleges of Chicago
  • Kindy Kruller, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development
  • Sarah Labadie, Women Employed
  • Sarah Lichtenstein Walter, City Colleges of Chicago
  • Greg Martinez, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership
  • Amrit Mehra, Office of the Mayor
  • January Miller, Embarc Chicago
  • Matt Muench, P33
  • Rhonda Patterson, Chicago Public Schools
  • Paige Ponder, One Million Degrees
  • Lara Pruitt, Kinship Foundation
  • Becky Raymond, Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition
  • Alex Ritson, OneGoal
  • Sarah Rudofsky, Chicago Public Schools
  • Rebecca Senatore, Chicago Community Trust
  • Christina Warden, Women Employed
  • Owen Washburn, JPMorgan Chase & Co
  • Simone Weil, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
  • Amberly Zwiener, Civic Committee
  • Kylin Fisher, Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance
  • Alberto Ortega, World Business Chicago
  • Adam Levine, World Business Chicago