CHICAGO/ SEPTEMBER 28, 2018/ Mayor Rahm Emanuel and City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado joined Year Up to open the organization’s new, dedicated site at Harold Washington College. Year Up and Harold Washington College will partner to serve more than 70 students this fall.
“Year Up provides Chicago students with essential support, and access to opportunities that helps them succeed in the 21st century economy,” said Mayor Emanuel. “The formalized partnership will equip graduates with the skills necessary to reach their full potential.”
Year Up Chicago and City Colleges are formalizing the longstanding partnership by providing Harold Washington College students with work-based learning opportunities and wrap around supports. Students, ages 18 to 24, are currently pursuing a Basic Certificate in Banking. As part of the program, students will also participate in six months of in-demand technical and professional skills training through Year Up, followed by a six-month internship with a supporting company.
“Year Up Chicago’s new partnership with Harold Washington College will allow us to scale more rapidly to connect even more young adults in need of an opportunity with companies in need of their talent,” said Year Up Chicago Executive Director, Jack Crowe. “By working with Harold Washington College and the broader City Colleges of Chicago network, we expect to grow our program to serve 1,000 students directly and influence 100,000 students.”
“Partnerships like this with Year Up are key to creating work-based learning opportunities that pay dividends for our students, Chicago employers and the city’s economy,” said Chancellor Salgado. “Work-based learning provides students with upwardly mobile career pathways, offers Chicago companies a dedicated and diverse talent pipeline, and creates a more inclusive Chicago economy, at the same time,” said Chancellor Salgado.
United Airlines is providing a $1 million grant to support the partnership’s expansion. Initial funding will support the new location, and internships at United.
In May, Chancellor Juan Salgado announced a commitment to ensure more than half of the graduates participate in work-based learning opportunities. With the support of Chicago’s business and civic community, City Colleges students enrolled in degree, certificate and boot camp programs will gain tangible experience before entering the workforce. This initiative is expected to reach more than 4,000 students annually.
Since 2010, Year Up Chicago has provided more than 1,200 young adults with in-demand skills, creating a pipeline of diverse, motivated talent for more than 35 of Chicago’s leading businesses in areas such as IT, Client Services, Financial Operations and Project Management Support. A recent federally-sponsored evaluation of Year Up showed a 53% increase in initial earnings for young adults randomly assigned to Year Up compared with similar young adults in a control group—the largest impacts on earnings reported to date for a workforce program tested in a randomized controlled trial.
Year Up Chicago now serves more than 280 young adults each year, with 90 percent of graduates employed or attending college full-time within four months of completing the program, earning average starting salaries of $36,000/year.