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Workforce Development

Our Workforce Development program supports career development for young adults at every phase of their employment journey.

YOUTH ELIGIBILITY

Chicago youth and young adults ages 14–24

SERVICE AREAS

GED | Job training & placement | Mentoring | Record expungement

EMAIL

[email protected]

PHONE

(773) 474-1101

MY TIME

MY TIME flyer (PDF)

HOPES

HOPES Participant flyer (PDF)

Partner Employer HOPES flyer (PDF)

IYIP

Youth IYIP flyer (PDF)

Partner Employer IYIP flyer (PDF)

WIOA

Youth WIOA flyer (PDF)

Partner Employer WIOA flyer (PDF)

Partner employers

Top, trained talent ready to work for you

Are you an employer? Invest in our communities’ futures by helping provide jobs and career mentoring to our youth. From new hire wage subsidies to tax credits and federal bonding, we can create a partnership that works for your business’ needs.

Fill out our interest form below, and a member of our Workforce Development team will reach out to discuss our partnership opportunities.

    Employer Contact


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    You never forget your first job. We’re here to make the memory a good one for more Chicagoans.

    Our Workforce Development program supports young adults experiencing racial, socioeconomic, and other disparities at every phase of their employment journey. Through partnerships with local employers and organizations, we provide GED education, job training and placement, justice–involved record expungement, trauma coaching, and targeted career preparation. We ease the path to employment for those with education gaps and prior justice involvement and foster inclusive spaces where every young person can grow their career confidence. 

    Our specialized offerings include:

    MY TIME – Paid Career Readiness Training

    Mentoring Youth to Inspire Meaningful Employment (MY TIME) is a trauma-informed job training offering that helps young people in the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) secure employment, build career skills, and gain work experience in their communities.

    Want more information on program eligibility and benefits? Download our MY TIME flyer.

    HOPES – Hospitality and Food Service Industries

    Hospitality Opportunities for People (Re)Entering Society (HOPES) connects youth with justice involvement to careers in the restaurant, food service, and hospitality industries. The offering helps youth develop their work readiness, grow industry-specific skills, and find employment.

    Want more information on program eligibility and benefits? Download our HOPES brochure.

    Are you a hospitality/food service employer interested in hiring HOPES youth? Download our HOPES employer brochure.

    IYIP – Apprenticeships and Service Careers

    The Illinois Youth Investment Program (IYIP) helps young people secure and sustain long-term employment through subsidized work experience in service industries. We partner with organizations who understand the physical, emotional, social, and mental health barriers participants may be facing.

    Want more information on program eligibility and benefits? Download our IYIP brochure.

    Are you an employer interested in hiring IYIP youth? Download our IYIP employer brochure.

    WIOA – License-based Professions

    Earn your GED, get licensed in a specialized field such as truck driving or medical assisting, and do it all for free as part of Lawrence Hall and Cook County Workforce Partnership’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program.

    Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) enrolls out-of-school youth in subsidized career training, credentials, and education opportunities, and connects them with job opportunities. 

    Want more information on program eligibility and benefits? Download our WIOA brochure.

    Are you an employer interested in hiring WIOA youth? Download our WIOA employer brochure.

    One Summer Chicago/Chicagobility/SYEP/Chicago Youth Service Corps

    Created for youth and young adults ages 14-24, One Summer Chicago (OSC), Chicagobility, and Summer Youth Employment (SYEP), are city-run programs that help youth learn financial and computer literacy, explore career tracks in a variety of sectors, and complete hands-on projects that positively impact their communities.

    Right Turn

    Right Turn offers individualized education, training, and workforce development, guiding participants through a three-phase career development process: self-exploration, career exploration, and career planning and management. Led by non-profits and local organizations with expertise in career development, education, mentoring, youth development, juvenile justice, and disability, the program serves youth ages 18–24 in high-crime, high-poverty communities nationwide.

    After School Matters

    Lawrence Hall partners with After School Matters (ASM) to provide creative apprenticeships for teens attending Chicago Public Schools.

    They have opened my eyes to the opportunities in and outside of my community and how even though they may seem unachievable, they are more in your grasp than you think.

    Deshaun

    program participant

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