Skills for Chicagoland’s Future is a signature initiative of Chicago Mayor's Office and Cook County Board President Preckwinkle that is designed to close the workforce skills gap, drive business growth and get unemployed and underemployed Chicagoland area residents back to work. We do this by partnering with local employers to identify their available hiring needs and match them with qualified unemployed/underemployed job seekers in the Chicagoland area. We also access and coordinate government funding for customized training, so candidates have the skills necessary to deliver results from their first day on the job. We are a public-private partnership that is supported by the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois, as well as by private and corporate foundations. Our nonprofit status means we provide these recruitment, placement and training services at no cost to the job seeker. Our win-win approach is not only an important civic initiative but also a great way to make our region economically stronger and bring a highly skilled and diverse workforce to companies who need it.