{"id":2593585,"date":"2022-03-30T14:32:21","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T14:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbusinesschicago.com\/?p=2593585"},"modified":"2025-06-26T09:20:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T14:20:28","slug":"cbo-collective-announces-1-million-grant-from-google-org-to-provide-job-placement-and-support-to-jobseekers-from-under-resourced-chicago-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbusinesschicago.com\/cbo-collective-announces-1-million-grant-from-google-org-to-provide-job-placement-and-support-to-jobseekers-from-under-resourced-chicago-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"CBO Collective Announces $1 Million Grant from Google.org to Provide Job Placement and Support to Jobseekers from Under-Resourced Chicago Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO<\/strong> \u2014 The Community Based Organization Collective today announced a $1 million grant from Google.org to help place hundreds of jobseekers on Chicago\u2019s South and West sides into in-demand careers, in the tech economy and beyond. This is Google\u2019s largest investment to date furthering its commitment to Chicago\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are working to address the systemic barriers to opportunity that too many Chicagoans face,\u201d said Karen Sauder, President of Global Client and Agency Solutions and Site Lead at Google Chicago.<\/strong> \u201cWe\u2019ve been so inspired by the work the Collective is doing to move toward a day where well-paid jobs are within reach for everyone who wants one. And we know if we get this right, we\u2019re not just creating meaningful careers, we\u2019re also strengthening our businesses with the diversity of thought and life experiences that helps us serve our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIllinois is home to some of the brightest talent in the nation, and ensuring all residents have access to good-paying jobs is crucial to our state\u2019s overall success,\u201d said Governor JB Pritzker. <\/strong>\u201cInvesting in our workforce is a key priority of my administration, and I\u2019m proud to see Google.org make this meaningful investment in Chicago\u2019s South and West sides. This grant will put people to work and advance equity in our economy here in Illinois.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CBO Collective is excited to work with Google.org who have shown they are committed to making investments in underserved, underrepresented, and disinvested communities,\u201d said CBOC Executive Director Cleophus J. Lee.<\/strong> \u201cThese funds will go a long way to help create equity in the labor market so Chicagoans from the South and West sides can obtain careers that will lead to self-sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n

With this investment, the CBO Collective will be able expand its operations to reach up to 400 historically marginalized jobseekers and place 200 into employment. Employers seeking to hire local unemployed or underemployed talent from Chicago\u2019s South and West sides will be able to utilize the CBO Collective as a central point for accessing local talent. About 30 hiring events will be conducted with targeted employers, and hiring commitments have already been secured from employers. This grant will also help the CBO Collective create a stronger referral system for wrap-around support so that job seekers can more readily access essential resources and services. Finally, it will promote awareness of new, emerging sectors and look for opportunities to connect jobseekers to digital skilling and trainings, like Google Career Certificates.<\/p>\n

In addition, World Business Chicago is announcing a $100,000 investment in the CBO Collective, a commitment following Mayor Lightfoot\u2019s Recovery Task Force (RTF) report<\/a>. A key recommendation of the task force report is expanding the city\u2019s workforce development strategy to include a reimagining of the city\u2019s workforce infrastructure \u2014 including a consortium of community partners and employee champions like Google \u2014 as well as uplifting the work of Chicago\u2019s dedicated workforce development and career pathway programs alongside talent developers like the City Colleges of Chicago and others.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is vital that people who face historic barriers to employment have the resources they need to get quality jobs and break into new industries,\u201d said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot.<\/strong>\u201cThis grant will help residents from underrepresented backgrounds do just that, as well as unlock their full potential. I thank Google.org, the CBO Collective and their partners for making this investment possible and look forward to seeing residents take advantage of these opportunities to upskill and obtain upward mobility.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRecovery and support of our city\u2019s workforce is crucial to a full recovery and future economic expansion,\u201d said Michael Fassnacht, President and CEO, World Business Chicago, and Chief Marketing Officer, City of Chicago.<\/strong> \u201cMany jobs lost due to the pandemic may not return; while many emerging ecosystems are creating new jobs of the future. As a result, existing workers and those new to the workforce, need to acquire marketable skills and related support. Our initial funding to help scale the CBO Collective\u2019s capacity, plus Google.org\u2019s investment announced today, will ensure that inclusive job opportunities and support is readily, widely available to residents throughout the city\u2019s 77-neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n

This funding from Google.org supports the new path the CBO Collective is paving in the workforce development sector. Through inclusive funding that rewards collaboration the CBO Collective can work together to serve more job seekers in need at scale.<\/p>\n

The CBO Collective is a self-convened group of 16 workforce-focused nonprofit organizations that is able to place hundreds of additional people into quality jobs, on top of the cumulative thousands their member organizations serve independently. The Collective hosts job fairs regularly at the locations of its member organizations, which hire across all industries and support job seekers eager to get back to work or build skills. Their member organizations include:<\/p>\n