Opportunity Chicago

Opportunity Chicago was an initiative created through a partnership of government agencies, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and employers to help Chicago public housing residents prepare and search for jobs. The program was active between 2006 and 2010. Its priorities included: (1) expanding and enhancing the existing workforce service delivery system to maximize employment opportunities, (2) promoting innovative employment skills and training programs, (3) engaging employers in the design and execution of sector- or industry-based partnerships, (4) advocating for public policies that support sustainable improvements to the public workforce development system, and (5) evaluating the initiative's effectiveness and determining the relevance of the model for other low-income communities and populations.

To meet these objectives, Opportunity Chicago employed a range of programs and interventions that included a case management program, transitional jobs program, industry skills training, GED programs, and a contextualized literacy program. Residents' participation in the initiative was voluntary, and participants primarily accessed the range of services through a case manager.

Opportunity Chicago's goal was to identify employment barriers within the system and to reduce those barriers by creating processes that would result in a smoother and more streamlined path to employment for CHA residents.

Of the 6,743 participants in an Opportunity Chicago program between 2006 and 2010, 5,185 (77%) were employed by the end of the project. Fifty-four percent retained employment for two or more years. Fifty-nine percent of participants saw an increase in quarterly earnings.

Of the 6,743 Chicago Public Housing Authority residents who participated in at least one Opportunity Chicago program between 2006 and 2010, 5,185 (77%) were employed at the conclusion of the project. Of this cohort, 54% retained employment for two or more years. At program entry, 68% of participants were either consistently unemployed or sporadically unemployed; by the time of their exit, almost 50% of those who had been consistently unemployed had improved their employment status. Additionally, 59% of participants saw an increase in quarterly earnings during their time in a program. Through Opportunity Chicago, 926 residents completed certificate and degree programs through City Colleges of Chicago.