Applications

• A private EMT-training program which costs $700 total and takes 6 months to complete. 
• They offer flexible payment plans and provide all other equipment free-of-charge. 
• At the end of the program Elite supports its students to pass the EMT-b licensing exam, and once licensed they provide immediate opportunities for students to work shifts on their ambulance fleet. 
• For students who want to “stack” their EMT license by going back to school for their Paramedic’s license, Elite offers a tuition benefit at Malcolm X College if the student agrees to work for Elite as a Paramedic for two years.
• Check course schedules and locations and sign up here.

• Skills pairs City Colleges of Chicago programs with large, corporate job providers to offer FREE training programs which include both a certification process and a paid job. 
• Current partners include Walgreens, Freedman Seating, McDonalds, CDW, AT&T, Hyatt hotels, Accretive Health and Rush University Medical Center. 
• Training programs run for a year or more, but participants are working for the partner company for the majority of their program. 
• View the webpage link for more information about program offerings, the current schedule (with COVID-19 considerations) and how to apply.

Search for Jobs, Know Your Options

• Explore Manufacturing, Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics Jobs with companies like Amazon, Divvy, Freedman Seating, etc (many offer full time salary, benefits, overtime pay, with wages starting above $15/hour)
• Explore jobs in Healthcare with institutions like Rush, UChicago Hospitals, Northwestern Hospitals, Athletico
• Explore jobs in Retail, Beauty, Food Service with companies like Ulta, McDonald’s, Walgreens, Jewel-Osco, Walmart, Uchicago Medicine Patient Food Service
• Explore jobs and training programs in Sales & Customer Service with Blue Cross Blue Shield, BMO-Harris, Discover, GoHealth, etc

Spotlighted Programs

• Apply to the College to Career Program (Sales and Customer Service Industry)
• Apply to the BMO-Harris Customer Experience Rep (no prior banking experience required)
• Apply to the Relationship Banker Role at WinTrust (prior banking experience required)
• Apply to the Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship – Walgreens (Healthcare Industry)

Programs offered by Chicago Women in Trades includes:

• Technical Opportunities Program
  • TOP is a Union Construction preparation pre-apprenticeship program.
  • Our FREE 12-week, 180-hour training program will help you learn about all the different Trade options you could pursue as a career; like Carpenters, Electricians, Ironworkers, Pipefitters, Laborers, Plumbers, Painters, Sheet Metal Workers, Bricklayers, and much more!
  • In TOP, you’ll learn hands-on skills, job site safety, physical strengthening, and classroom work to prepare you to successfully take the different Union Apprenticeship aptitude entry exams.
  • We also assist with applying to the Union Trade Apprenticeship program openings of your interest
• Women in Welding Program
  • Welding is a universal skill that is in high demand. CWIT’s FREE Welding Program prepares women with the skills to build a career in manufacturing, welding & metalworking construction trades.
  • FREE 12-week, 288-hour Training Program

The construction trades are a pathway to good jobs with wages that are on par with occupations that require a Bachelor’s degree but without years of college or the debt.  View this guidebook to learn more about a career pathway in the construction trades, including average salaries of various trades.  This glossary of terms is a useful resource to define terms associated with the construction trades.   Below are some programs to explore:

City Colleges of Chicago programs with union partnerships:

• Electrical Construction Technology, Associate in Applied Science at Richard J. Daley College
• Gas Utility Worker Advanced Certificate at Kennedy King College
• Highway Construction Careers Training Program at Kennedy King College

Pre-Apprenticeship Programs:

• ABC’s Community Builders program, aimed at providing entry-level skills to construction job seekers in 10 Chicago disadvantaged communities, claims 100 students trained with a 60% employment rate with some students still in process.
• Technology Center of DuPage provides training in welding, HVAC, and carpentry for 24 DuPage County high schools.
• Chicago Urban League has a long history placing workers in construction trades, particularly with private developers, City of Chicago, and IDOT-supported programs. It currently operates 8-week pre-apprenticeship and referral and job placement programs. It maintains close union relationships.
• Revolution Workshop is a community-based organization providing pre-apprentice training and entry level skills training in various trades including carpentry, electrician, and plumbing. It features a 10-12 week program, with 87% completion and 90% of completions placed. About 100 students have completed since the program began three years ago. It is located on Chicago’s West Side.
• Illinois Department of Transportation Highway Construction Careers Training Program provides a three-month training program in 10 Illinois community colleges. The program is free. Dawson Technical Institute enrolled 261, completed 240, and placed 124 in Fall, 2019. South Suburban College enrolled 348, completed 233, and placed 149 in Summer, 2019.
• ConstructionWorks, operated by Illinois Tollway and the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, uses community-based partners to train participants in basics of various construction trades for apprenticeship or employment, and offers contractors bid credits and limited pay reimbursements for hiring participants.

The African American Firefighters and Paramedics League was founded in 1968 by Jim Winbush and Les Outerbridge. It was created to be a catalyst for social justice and upward mobility and has always remained dedicated to the community.  Part of our mission is to prepare and educate youths within our community for a future career within the fire service, while simultaneously giving direction and guidance through example and application.

Why the job is for you:

• $66-98k starting salary in 4 years
• Tuition reimbursement
• Health insurance
• Advancement opportunities
• Paid holidays
• Retirement plan
• Brotherhood

Qualifications:

• Must be 18 years old by 12/31/2021
• Must have a high school diploma or GED
• Resident of Chicago at the time of hire
• Pass a background check
• Drivers license

Coding “bootcamp” programs offer online training in a tech field in a short amount of time.  These generally operate as for-profit businesses, so it’s advised that you do your research to evaluate whether or not a program is a good fit, such as speaking to alumni or current students.  Several programs offer payment options that allow you to defer payment until you secure a job or tuition refund guarantees if you do not secure a job after graduation.  It’s important to take a look at the job placement support and results and any fine print for these programs.  Here are some examples:

Thinkful

• Full-time and part-time options
• Courses in software engineering, data science, data analytics, UX/UI design, technical project management, and digital marketing.
• One-on-one mentoring
• Tuition refund if not hired within 6 months of graduating

Flatiron School

• Full-time or flexible (learn at your own pace) programs
• Programs in software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and product design
• Scholarships available

City Colleges of Chicago

The Basic Nursing Assistants (BNA) program at Malcolm X prepares students to work in the healthcare industry as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Students are introduced to the discipline of nursing and the basic approaches to patient care.

Hearts 2 Heal CNA and CPR Training

The Nursing Assistant and CPR Training Program consists of an 8-12week course with day and evening offerings that includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.

The Chicago Apprentice Network is working to bridge the gap by raising awareness of apprenticeship and helping more businesses establish successful apprentice programs to offer more opportunities to more people in Chicagoland.  Since 2017, the Chicago Apprentice Network has grown from three founding companies – Accenture, Aon and Zurich North America – to more than 50 companies across multiple industries.  An apprenticeship is an earn and learn model with:

• An intent of making the candidate job ready for a specific role
• A combination of classroom learning and employer-site on the job training
• A living wage paid to the apprentice
• An opportunity to convert to full-time employment immediately upon successful completion of the program

Access points for apprenticeship vary. Some opportunities are offered through a community college or other education provider. Some employers accept applications directly, during specific periods or ongoing throughout the year. Other opportunities originate with nonprofits, which refer candidates to businesses offering apprenticeships.   Explore opportunities here.

Relativity Fellows is a program offered by software company Relativity, which tackles challenges in legal tech, data privacy, and security.  Fellows will play an important role in helping create an industry that reflects our communities. In return, participants of the Relativity Fellows program will receive:

• Guaranteed full-time job upon successful completion
• 5 months of in-depth learning, mentoring, and support
• Health care coverage and competitive pay

All Fellows will receive in-depth training on the Relativity product, and some participants, depending on placement role, will pursue Relativity certification.  Learn more about the program here and complete this form if you are interested in becoming a Relativity Fellow!

Digital Scholars is an intensive, five-week-long program (June 27, 2022 – August 2, 2022) for high school students and incoming freshman and current students at UIC or City Colleges.  Applications for Summer 2022 will be accepted beginning October 1st.

The program is intentional about serving CPS and Chicago-area students, first-generation, and students of color. The program is free. Support is also provided for those in need of a device for e-learning.  Apply here.

Requirements:
In order to qualify for the Digital Scholars summer program students must:

• Submit a completed application, including academic transcripts and one letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor or activity leader.
• Have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• Demonstrate an interest in Computer Science and related fields (e.g., computer engineering, computer and data science, entrepreneurship, etc.).
• Express interest in attending the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and apply for admission to UIC for Fall 2023.
• Eligible for high school sophomores to graduating Seniors.
  • (Graduating seniors must be entering UIC, an Illinois Community College, or City Colleges of Chicago in Fall 2022)
• Be able to work both independently and in groups.
• Express interest in a future career in the Chicago Tech community.

Students accepted into the program must attend a mandatory online orientation meeting with a parent or guardian. The orientation will introduce students to the UIC – DPI Digital Scholars program, expectations, offerings and more.

In partnership with P33, DPI launched TechReady Illinois in June 2020 to help Illinois residents affected by COVID-19 gain new digital skills.

To help unemployed, furloughed and underutilized Illinoisans compete for these jobs of the future, TechReady Illinois will provide training courses for the high-demand fields of computer science, data and engineering programs.

Courses are offered in one of four tracks, with opportunities to obtain a certificate upon completion. These include:

• Data and analytics
• Cloud computing
• Cybersecurity
• Software development

Participating institutions include the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois System, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and City Colleges of Chicago. To participate, residents complete virtual courses, some conducted by faculty from participating academic institutions. Others are run by non-profit partners, including National Able’s IT Career Lab and i.c.stars. Many of these courses lead to industry-recognized certificates.  Learn more here.

The Comp-U-Dopt IT Pathways Program is a rigorous, immersive learning experience that introduces participants to knowledge and skills in Information Technology and helps them explore careers in IT. The program combines curriculum from Cisco Networking Academy and Comp-U-Dopt to equip students with essential IT technical knowledge and skills, as well as career readiness competencies. Students will receive support from a Cisco-certified trainer to prepare for the CompTIA IT Fundamentals exam, an entry-level computer industry certification.  Learn more about the IT Pathways program here.  To register, click here.