CWIC serves as the permanent home of Mayor Daley's Chicago LEADS Initiative, which launched in 2007. 

LEADS was launched in an effort to ensure that our workforce development system worked for both businesses and residents. It was driven by a three-part strategy: (1) convening leadership and aligning the entire workforce development system around common goals; (2) driving to results by launching pilots in key sectors; and (3) ensuring that system-wide changes were sustainable and enduring.

LEADS Accomplishments

• Convened over 80 businesses through its Civic Advisory Council and four industry advisory groups.
• Partnered with foundations, policy experts, and public agencies on LEADS goals.
• Convened teams, designed, and secured CPS approval for new career academies to create pipelines of skilled labor in target industries. One opened in 2009; one opened in 2010.
• Identified the need for 700 new nurses trained each year. We are on track to exceed our goal by Summer 2011.
• Developed a strategy for serving Chicago’s growing hospitality sector; placing over 820 Chicagoans in hospitality jobs and training 400 incumbent workers in the sector.
• Developed a system with Transportation Distribution and Logistics businesses to recruit, pre-screen and help residents obtain credentials that will improve the quality of candidates for jobs in this important industry. To date, 128 individuals have been trained and 52 have been placed in jobs in this sector.
• Raised over $1.25M in new, private funding.
• Received over $3M in pro-bono support.
• With the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall, launched the new data consortium CWICstats, to help the city understand the return on its workforce expenditures; help residents choose the most appropriate programs; and research new approaches to creating the workforce Chicago needs to compete in the global economy.

Download the latest LEADS update