Lake County Workforce Development Department to Receive 2022 Service Provider of the Year Award from Lake County Coalition to Reduce Recidivism
The Lake County Workforce Development Department has been nominated by the Lake County Coalition to Reduce Recidivism to receive the 2022 Service Provider of the Year Award. The award is set to be presented at the Coalition’s 19th Annual Fundraising Event on Friday, October 7, 2022, in Wadsworth.
The Coalition, alongside community partners such as the Workforce Development Department, works to reduce recidivism by assisting people with criminal records in becoming productive members of the community via employment placement and supportive services enabling these individuals to become self-sufficient.
The Workforce Development Department has been working diligently — in support of the Lake County Workforce Development Board’s strategic plan key imperative to create a culture of equitable prosperity in Lake County — to ensure justice-impacted individuals seeking employment and training assistance are aware of the services available via the award winning Revive Lake County program. Revive Lake County is a five-week program focusing on life skills, career awareness, employability skills, and essential workplace skills. Individual who successfully complete the program may be eligible to receive financial aid for job training or paid work experience. This program is available to justice-impacted individuals both within the Lake County Jail and the community. Learn more about Revive Lake County: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/documentcenter/view/45686
In addition to the Workforce Development Board’s role in supporting the Revive Lake County program, Jennifer Harris, Past Chair and current Board Member, leads the newly formed National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) Equity Task Force, a group of national workforce visionaries working to reveal disconnects in practitioner-led dialogues and to unmask barriers to centering racial equity in the workforce development ecosystem. Additionally, the Workforce Development Board recently hosted a series of extensive, in-depth diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training opportunities for board and committee members via a series of Inclusive Leadership Institute (ILI) workshops. All these efforts support the Board’s commitment to and focus on developing and expanding programs and initiatives that bring equitable prosperity to the region.
Demar Harris, Director of Programs for the Lake County Workforce Development Department, stated, “This recognition and award are very humbling, and it is because of the team members and staff within our organization that we can provide valuable workforce development services to our justice-impacted individuals. Our community partnerships, programming efforts, and leadership collaborations all create positive outcomes for our residents, job seekers, and community.”
About Lake County Workforce Development Board
The Lake County Workforce Development Board is a workforce development leader in the county, region, and state. The Workforce Board collaborates with key partners and stakeholders to lead performance-driven and innovative strategies that develop, align, and integrate the workforce development system.
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