City Colleges of Chicago opens Education Workforce Center for education professionals, the first of its kind in Chicago, at Harry S Truman College

City Colleges of Chicago opens Education Workforce Center for education professionals, the first of its kind in Chicago, at Harry S Truman College 

CHICAGO – City Colleges of Chicago opened Chicago’s first Education Workforce Center (EWC) at Harry S Truman College. The EWC will serve as the epicenter for education professionals and offer curated resources, practical guidance, technology, employment supports, and examples of innovation to inform the advancement of educators in Chicago and around the state of Illinois.

“Supporting educators is important because it directly impacts student success by ensuring teachers feel valued, have the resources they need to teach, and are able to maintain their well-being which in turn leads to better student outcomes and retaining that teacher,” said Dr. Shawn Jackson, president of Harry S Truman College. “When teachers are supported, we all win.”

The early child care sector has lost thousands of workers since the pandemic with many day care centers closing. In addition, many organizations that provide early care and education services share that it is difficult to find qualified staff to fill the many vacancies. At the same time, many current educators are leaving the profession due to ‘burn out’ with some citing low wages as the reason for leaving the profession altogether (source: Nationals Women’s Law Center).

The Education Workforce Center will start with tools for education professionals in early childhood (birth to pre-school) and grow to support grammar school educators, then high school educators, and so on. The EWC will be free and open to educators through an application process.

“The impact educators have on young children lasts a lifetime and that’s why this center is vital” said Sandy De Leon, executive director of the Chicago Early Learning Workforce Scholarship. “The EWC will also be a place where educators can support one another and build community, so critical for them to flourish and for retention of educators.”

Harry S Truman College is a comprehensive community college that offers credit class, continuing education classes, and free Illinois High School Diploma preparation classes and ESL classes—supporting students on their way to their educational and career goals. It is City Colleges’ center for excellence in education, human, and natural sciences, giving students the opportunity to become the best teachers by learning from the best teachers.

City Colleges of Chicago is the city’s most accessible higher education engine of socioeconomic mobility and racial equity—empowering all Chicagoans to take part in building a stronger and more just city. Learn more about City Colleges of Chicago at www.ccc.edu or call 773-COLLEGE.


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