Workforce Development Programs
The Pritzker Tech Talent Labs help Illinois residents acquire the skills needed to adapt and thrive in the digital economy.
The Pritzker Tech Talent Labs help Illinois residents acquire the skills needed to adapt and thrive in the digital economy.
DPI’s Workforce Development is upskilling & re-skilling individuals for 21st-century jobs. Our North Star: Increase Chicago’s digital talent supply and drive representative economic growth in the region through innovative, mastery-oriented upskilling programs and student services designed to match student skills and career aspirations with company needs.
DPI’s Workforce Development is positioned to accelerate innovation and align the tech talent system to create a more equitable tech ecosystem.
Contact us if you are an employer in search of tech talent solutions, or an individual looking to enter into a tech field
Building a strong, equitable workforce means creating multiple on-ramps people can use to move up and within the workforce. DPI’s Workforce Development is impacting lives through system building. We are supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the tech industry by aligning key partnerships to provide underserved communities access to tech training, jobs, and further deep tech while connecting employers to the system and a new supply of talent.
DPI’s Pritzker Tech Talent Labs Workforce Development Unit aims to reskill and upskill adult learners that are rethinking their careers. Our apprenticeship programs create pathways to occupational and financial stability, helping Illinois residents acquire the skills needed to adapt and thrive in the digital economy. Our North Star: Increase Chicago’s digital talent supply and drive representative economic growth in the region through innovative, mastery-oriented upskilling programs and student services designed to match student skills and career aspirations with company needs.
The Apprenticeship Fund mitigates unanticipated expenses or financial barriers that prevent individuals from participating in, or staying on-track with its programs. This fund provides assistance with a variety of needs, including food insecurity, professional attire, network building, transportation, and more.
Apprenticeship is a symbiotic relationship, enabling tech companies to produce much-needed workers and participants to develop valuable skills at little to no cost. In this report DPI examines the literature on and statistics about tech apprenticeship and summarizes interviews with seven software development and cybersecurity focused apprenticeships from across the United States. Tech apprenticeships can increase company diversity, produce well-prepared tech workers, and secure a return on investment. Join us in transforming tech!
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:
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.
Computer and information technology are among the fastest-growing careers in the United States with demand for these jobs expected to grow by 16% from 2018-2026.
These jobs are also more resilient. During the last economic crisis, jobs in computing and mathematics lost just 1% of its employment in 2009 and fully regained momentum the following year, when jobs in the sector surpassed 2008 levels.
In order to serve a broad set of Illinoisans, TechReady Illinois currently offers programs valuable to both experienced technologists looking to sharpen their skills and novices interested in pivoting to a tech career for the first time.