June In-Person Systemwide Gathering
scaleLIT, as the One-Stop Operator (OSO) serving Local Workforce Innovation Area (LWIA) 7 through the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership network, hosts quarterly convenings to share American Job Center (AJC) updates, relevant campaigns, funding opportunities, etc.
In March 2025, the OSO virtually hosted two experts to discuss the Senior Community Service Employment Programs (SCSEP) and the current federal administration’s impact on workforce development policy. Matt Wies, President and CEO of National Able Network, and Jacob Sitati, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Chicago Jobs Council (CJC), engaged an audience of over 60 workforce practitioners.
On June 25, 2025, scaleLIT hosted an in-person Systemwide Gathering at Harper College, featuring a panel of organizations spotlighting apprenticeship programs in Illinois.
This month’s gathering was ScaleLIT’s final in-person OSO convening of FY25. On Wednesday, scaleLIT began with updates from the OSO team and introduced the audience to the Career Pathways Navigators, who highlighted referral metrics, membership engagement data, and customer satisfaction data from the previous quarter. Click here to download the presentation and review the updates shared.
For this quarter’s Cross-Training spotlight, scaleLIT showcased partners working to build Apprenticeship Programs and invited organizations committed to supporting these programs at the local, regional, and state levels:
Harper College, represented by Besa Sadiku, Manager, Workforce Initiatives and Apprenticeship Programs
The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, represented by Patricia Moore
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), represented by Norman Ruano, Deputy Director
Becky Raymond, Executive Director for scaleLIT, graciously moderated this panel. The main objective of the discussion was to give the LWIA 7 American Job Network an insight into varied apprenticeship opportunities that impact career seekers. The audience walked away with a greater understanding of these programs and how they continue to expand the areas of service that apprenticeships provide.
The Apprenticeship Programs Panel, from left to right: Becky Raymond, Norman Ruano, Patricia Moore, and Besa Sadika.
Becky promoted our panelist through the following topics:
Norman explained the innovative approach of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
Pat expanded on the apprenticeship models, sharing a range of apprenticeship programs overseen by the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, such as the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
At the local level, Besa from Harper College offered an in-depth look at their recognized range of programs and how they stand out for excellence. Harper College can receive referrals via Airtable.
After audience questions, OSO navigators shared the leaderboard results from the last quarter and gave well-deserved shoutouts to:
★ Airtable All-Star Nominee: Karen Coleman from Employment and Employer Services, King Center, for her best practices in customer follow-up!
★ Surveys All Star Nominee: American Job Center in Pilsen with 108 On-Site Surveys!
★ System Collaboration Nominee: Our LWIA 7 Illinois Department of Employment Security Partners!
We are very grateful to our panelists and moderators for sharing their thoughts with our network. We’d like to thank the 50+ partners who engaged with our panelists and remain committed to improving service delivery and customer experience for all our community members.
If you want to learn more about Systemwide meetings or propose topics:
