Opportunity Works is a paid internship program for opportunity youth (young adults who are not in school and not connected to employment) in suburban Cook County. The program connects young adults to sector-focused internships designed to address both distressed businesses recovering from economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and high rates of young adult unemployment in suburban Cook County.  The program aims to connect young adults to career pathways in high-demand, high growth industries. The paid internships expose young adults to viable family-sustaining careers, expand their skill sets, and connect them to the training and resources they need to achieve long-term employment in sectors such as Manufacturing; Information Technology; Healthcare; Construction; and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics . Interns are engaged in activity 30 hours per week and will earn $15 per hour. 

The program is part of the county’s Career Connector Program, which is funded by its $15 million investment, using dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act, for programs and services provided by the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership). The Partnership, the designated administrative agency for Chicago and Cook County’s federally funded public workforce system, the largest in the nation, will administer the program.

This application includes multiple screens and will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

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