The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act gives priority services to vulnerable populations. The Revive Lake County program was created as an innovative solution to provide formerly incarcerated individuals with the essential skills needed in today’s economy to ensure successful re-entry into the workforce. Such individuals are often overlooked by companies, but offer viable talent when developed. To solve this problem, a diverse group of stakeholders united under the shared ethos of second-chances and economic vitality to create an innovative program that would benefit individuals, businesses, and society at large.
The exploratory stage was thorough and involved a network of partners, including: The Lake County Workforce Development Department, the Job Center of Lake County, the College of Lake County, the Lake County State’s Attorney Office, the Lake County Sheriff’s Adult Corrections Facility, Prairie State Legal, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, and a host of local businesses. Staff from the Lake County Workforce Development Department attended numerous workshops and events to consult subject-matter experts, conduct personal interviews, review promising practices, and identify gaps in service—information that would be integral to program design.
The result was Revive Lake County, a five-week program created by the Lake County Workforce Development Department that encompasses critical workforce development elements to address the needs of returning citizens. The program is delivered at two locations—the Lake County Adult Corrections Facility and the Job Center of Lake County—to provide accessibility to individuals throughout all stages of the rehabilitation process.
The program includes a hands-on curriculum organized in five distinct modules. Each module is designed to instill foundational workplace values and behaviors that are critical to obtaining and keeping a job, including: career awareness, employability skills, communication pointers, and transferable skills. In addition to the modules, participants complete activities in Bring Your ‘A’ Game—a workforce development curriculum shaped by input of 1,500 national employers regarding essential workplace skills. The program concludes with a capstone presentation prepared by each participant and presented at a ceremony attended by program partners, participant supporters, and local business leaders. The participants summarize new skills, individual goals, and a plan for success. The capstone empowers participants to take ownership of their professional development by identifying personal hinderance, sharing progress, and planning for success alongside peers.
Launched in spring 2018, Revive Lake County is now mid-way through the pilot year. So far, eight individuals have successfully graduated. One graduate has completed additional training and has obtained a commercial driver’s license, resulting in a significant increase of pay. The second cohort will start on September 10, 2018. As with any new initiative, outcomes will continue to be closely tracked, analyzed, and used to inform continuous improvements on future program design. Workforce solutions to complex issues such as the economic integration of retuning citizens are neither easily nor quickly solved. However, Revive Lake County has proven itself to be the first step in a sophisticated process to resolve barriers for those who need it most.