This article was accepted into the corpus but its outbound wikilinks were never NER-processed — typical at the deepest BFS hop or when the run's entity cap was reached. No expansion funnel to show.
| Will County Center for Workforce Development | |
|---|---|
| Name | Will County Center for Workforce Development |
| Formation | 1980s |
| Type | Public workforce agency |
| Headquarters | Joliet, Illinois |
| Region served | Will County, Illinois |
| Leader title | Director |
Will County Center for Workforce Development The Will County Center for Workforce Development is a public employment and training agency located in Joliet, Illinois, serving jobseekers, employers, and workforce partners across Will County. It operates at the intersection of local labor markets, regional economic development, and federal workforce policy, connecting residents with services aligned to labor demands from industries such as manufacturing, health care, transportation, and construction. The Center collaborates with municipal governments, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations to implement workforce programs and support employment outcomes.
The Center provides career services, employer services, training programs, and labor market information to residents of Joliet, Naperville, Plainfield, and surrounding municipalities. It functions within the framework of federal workforce initiatives administered by the United States Department of Labor, guided by state agencies including the Illinois Department of Employment Security and the Illinois Community College Board. The Center engages local partners such as Will County, the City of Joliet, Joliet Junior College, Governors State University, and area high schools to align training with employer demand.
The Center was established amid workforce realignments during the late 20th century and grew in response to industrial restructuring, automation, and regional demographic shifts. Its evolution reflects federal policy changes stemming from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and predecessors like the Job Training Partnership Act. Over time the Center adapted services to address shifts tied to events and trends such as manufacturing plant closures, the expansion of United Parcel Service and Amazon (company) distribution centers in the Chicago metropolitan area, and statewide workforce development initiatives led by the Office of the Governor of Illinois.
Services include job placement, career counseling, occupational skills training, apprenticeship programs, and certifications for occupations in health care, advanced manufacturing, and logistics. The Center administers programs related to registered apprenticeships recognized by the United States Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship and coordinates credentialing tied to entities such as the National Institute for Metalworking Skills and the American Health Information Management Association. It provides workforce data using labor market tools associated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics and partnerships with Workforce Investment Boards and regional planning organizations.
The Center maintains formal and informal partnerships with employers and institutions including Joliet Area Community Hospice, Ascension (healthcare), AMITA Health, regional manufacturing firms, transportation firms like BNSF Railway, logistics operators such as FedEx, and construction contractors participating in union programs like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. It works with economic development organizations such as Will County Center for Economic Development, chambers of commerce including the Greater Joliet Area Chamber of Commerce, and trade groups like the Manufacturers' Association for Plastics Processes to develop sector-based strategies.
Primary operations are based in downtown Joliet with satellite services delivered across community sites, career centers, community colleges, and one-stop centers in municipalities such as Plainfield, Illinois, Bolingbrook, Illinois, and Romeoville, Illinois. Facilities are co-located with partner institutions including Joliet Junior College campuses and municipal service centers to provide accessible intake, computer labs, and meeting spaces for employer recruitment events with firms like Caterpillar Inc. and Navistar International.
Funding streams include federal allocations from programs administered by the United States Department of Labor under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, state appropriations routed through the Illinois Department of Employment Security, and local funds from Will County budgets and municipal grants. Governance involves a board or advisory council comprising representatives from local government, educational institutions such as Governors State University and Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210, labor organizations, and private sector employers to ensure alignment with regional labor market needs.
The Center tracks metrics including placement rates, credential attainment, average earnings gains, and employer satisfaction, reporting outcomes in alignment with measures used by the United States Department of Labor and the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board. Impact assessments consider regional indicators such as job growth in sectors tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shifts in commuting patterns tied to Metra and Interstate 55 (Illinois), and reductions in local unemployment rates reported by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Documented outcomes inform continuous improvement and strategic planning with stakeholders including Will County Center for Economic Development and regional workforce consortia.
Category:Organizations based in Joliet, Illinois Category:Workforce development in Illinois