Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced a hiring fair is being held in the North Lawndale community and will feature 21 companies that are looking to hire over 300 young adults from across Chicago. The event is part of the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, which has the goal of being the nation’s largest employer-led coalition committed to creating pathways to meaningful employment for America’s young people.

The coalition was launched last summer in Chicago and is working to engage at least 4,000 Opportunity Youth in Chicago – 16-24 year olds who face systemic barriers to jobs and education – by 2018 through apprenticeships, internships, training programs, and both part-time and full-time jobs. To date the initiative has led to the hiring of more than 1,000 Opportunity Youth in Chicago.

“The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative started right here in Chicago last year. I am proud that it has already helped reconnect more than 1,000 young Chicagoans to job opportunities and the values that go with them so they can stay on the right path to a safer and stronger future,” Mayor Emanuel said. “I look forward to continuing our work with our private sector partners to extend more hands of opportunity to young people who need them the most to change lives and build stronger communities for years to come.”

In the U.S. alone, there are currently more than 5 million youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who are out of school and not working. In response, the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative is committing to create the pathways young workers need to build skills, attain credentials and ultimately secure a job. Companies engaged in the coalition will help to launch careers for young people who are just entering the workforce through internships, apprenticeships and on the job training, as well as to develop the potential of youth who have some work experience but are looking to gain new skills that will lead to a successful career. These companies have joined together and are operating with the belief that with the right skills and training, Opportunity Youth represent an unrealized pipeline of talent and an economic engine that can be ignited.

The hiring fair is being offered by Thrive Chicago, a collective impact non-profit with the objective of supporting Chicago’s Youth and the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (CCWP), the largest non-profit workforce provider in the county.

"Today's jobs fair is a truly collaborative citywide event to connect our young people with the resources and jobs to support their success,” Thrive Chicago President Sandra Abrevaya said.

“This event represents the collaborative spirit of our work. By sharing resources and joining together the public and private sectors along with community-based engagement, we create a win-win situation for everyone,” CCWP CEO Karin M. Norington-Reaves said. “We are pleased to have the support of Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele and Alderman Michael Scott Jr. as we provide job opportunities to the community's young professionals.”

"I am proud to support the 100K initiative; this initiative ensures that young adults from my community are provided sorely needed employment opportunities,” Alderman Michael Scott Jr. said. “Providing jobs for youth is an essential tool to get them hands-on experience and launch their careers and away from the vices of the streets."
Employers that are hiring Opportunity Youth and will be at the Opportunity Fair today include:

• Chipotle
• Crossmark
• CVS Caremark
• FedEx
• Hilton Worldwide
• HMSHost
• JC Penny
• Interpark, LLC
• Lyft
• Macy's
• Nando’s Peri Peri
• Nordstrom Rack
• Nordstrom Stores
• Nordstrom Trunk Club
• Pepsi
• Sephora Cosmetics
• Starbucks
• Teavanna
• Walmart
• Walgreens
• Woodbridge nursing

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