Free download from Literacy Works: Transitions to Education and Training
Adult Education Referrals
Chicago Workforce Professionals, do you wish to find adult education programs for your clients? Contact Literacy Works by emailing our Adult Education Helpline or calling 312-998-READ (312-998-7323).
Employ Lit Training – Professional Development For Workforce Professionals
Does your workforce program struggle to serve adults with low literacy skills? Literacy Works offers its popular Employ Lit group training annually through the Chicago Jobs Council’s Frontline Focus Training Institute. Employ Lit helps workforce professionals and job-readiness instructors more effectively serve adults with low literacy. Click here to learn more and register!
To inquire about hosting a customized on-site Employ Lit Training for your staff, email info@litworks.org.
PINTEREST: Resource Highlights on LW Pinterest
- LW Pinterest: Transitions, Workforce Dev
- LW Pinterest: WIOA: Workforce Innovation + Opportunity Act (formerly WIA)
- See all of LW Pinterest boards
Career Exploration
- Career Clusters® – Career Technical Education (CTE)
- Career Clusters – Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters™
- Career Clusters – Illinois’ Career Cluster Model
- Career Finder – City Colleges of Chicago
- Career Gateway – JVS
- Career Information for Individuals — IL Dept. of Employment Security/IDES
- CareerOneStop: Pathways to Career Success – from the US Department of Labor
- My Next Move – explore careers via DOL, O*NET
- Occupational Outlook Handbook – Bureau of Labor Statistics
- O*Net OnLine – for career exploration
- Target Occupation Profiles (TOPS) – Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership
- For teachers/nonprofits: Free curriculum from City Colleges of Chicago Career Foundations Curriculum – find/download from this page
- Step Ahead Workbook – From Step Ahead/Minnesota, career planning guide for people with criminal convictions
Career Pathways/Bridge Curricula & Lesson Plans
- College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education
- Curricula for bridge programs in Manufacturing, Healthcare, TDL – from ICCB – “Model Curricula”
- Lesson plans for Career Foundations, Health Care, Early Childhood Education, Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) – from Women Employed
Career Pathways/Bridge Programs
- ABE Career Connections: A Manual for Integrating Adult Basic Education into Career Pathways
- Breaking Through Contextualization Toolkit – A Tool for Helping Low-Skilled Adults Gain Postsecondary Certificates and Degrees – Jobs for the Future
- Bridges to Careers for Low-Skilled Adults: A Program Development Guide – Women Employed
- Creating a Successful Bridge Program: A “How To” Guide
- Funding Career Pathways and Career Pathway Bridges: A Federal Policy Toolkit for States
- How to Build Bridge Programs That Fit into a Career Pathway — Instituto del Progreso Latino
- I-BEST: Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (Washington State)
- Improving Immigrants’ Employment Prospects through Work-Focused Language Instruction
- LINCS Career Pathways Group
- Pathways to Careers Network – webinars, guides, lesson plans, other tools
- Shifting Gears reports on career pathways – Joyce Foundation
- Study Guide for Purposeful Exploration of Adult Education for Work: Teaching and Learning in a Work Context (LINCS)
- Transition Services Self-Assessment Toolkit (Women Employed) – For Bridge Programs
Computer & Digital Skills
- See Computer sections of Literacy Works’ Resources page on Teaching Adults
Job-Readiness Training/Career Prep Instruction
- Career Gateway – from JVS
- Career Gateway — from JVS – PDF of Job Seekers Guide
- Integrating Career Awareness into the ABE/ESOL Classroom (SABES)
- MyMNCareers — Minnesota resource, with info relevant to other states
- Workplace skills books & materials – For purchase from New Readers Press
Practice Online Job Applications
- Practice online job application
- Practice online job application – Experience Works
- Practice online job application – Stratford, CT, Library
- Practice online job application – CareerPointMA
- Practice online job application – Step Ahead (Note: Click the word “start” in gray.)
Resources For Workforce Professionals & Clients – Chicago, Illinois, and US
- Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership
- CJC – Chicago Jobs Council
- CJC – Directory of Employment Training and Service Providers in Metro Chicago
- CJC – The WIRE: Workforce Info and Resource Exchange
- Connect Chicago – Listing 250+ places in Chicago to use a computer for free.
- Disability & Rehabilitation — IL Department of Human Services (see Jobs section)
- Illinois Career Information System (ILCIS)
- Illinois workNet
- Illinois workNet Centers
- Job Accommodation Network (“Ask JAN”) – Info on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues – US Dept. of Labor
- National Transitional Jobs Network – Heartland Alliance
- Women Employed
- WorkforceGPS
Soft Skills
Stats, Facts, Policy
- Employer Guide to Adult Education for Work – Jobs for the Future
- Jobs for the Future – Policy solutions and new pathways leading from colleage readiness to career advancement for struggling and low-income populations in America
- Unemployment statistics related to education level — see Table A-4 (and more) — Bureau of Labor Statistics
Transitions to College
- Adult College Completion Tool Kit – For policymakers, administrators, teachers – OVAE
- City Colleges of Chicago
- College accreditation – “Is this college accredited?” Check the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs – US Department of Education
- College Results Online – compare grad rates and more for 4-year colleages, including for-profit colleges
- Community Colleges in Illinois
- Complete the Degree – Chicago
- Disability Access Centers at Chicago City Colleges (including learning disabilities)
- En Camino – Educational Toolkit for Spanish-Speaking Families
- Opportunity.gov – Info on financial aid for college
- TRiO Programs at City Colleges of Chicago
- Undocumented Student’s Guide to College in Illinois