City Colleges of Chicago
City Colleges of Chicago is an educational institution. Learn more at www.ccc.edu.
Introductory Conversations and Assessment
How organizations conduct initial needs assessment with employers, introduce workforce development in general as well as their own organization’s programs, and gauge whether an employer could benefit from workforce development programs.
Learning About Employers' Needs
- When initiating contact with employers, general questions are asked to clarify the details of a partnership with Olive-Harvey College. Sample questions include:
- What is the size of the current workforce? Where is the company located? What positions are open? What are the requirements for all open roles? Does the employer have previous experience receiving workforce development funding? What is the organization hoping to achieve from a partnership with Olive-Harvey College?
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Introducing Your Organization
- Several marketing materials are available for employers, describing the services and opportunities that are available through the City Colleges of Chicago and the wider workforce development ecosystem.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Evaluating Employer Suitability
The process for evaluating employer suitability is relatively informal. Some factors that are considered when determining whether an employer will be a good fit are how beneficial the opportunity will be for students, the volume of available positions, and the connection to the mission and brand of the City Colleges of Chicago.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Establishing Employer Relationships
Ways that organizations follow up or otherwise build relationships with potential employer partners. How do organizations keep employers’ interest and stay top of mind, despite how busy they may be?
Following Up via Phone and/or Email
- When initiating a relationship with an employer, the City Colleges of Chicago teams prioritize frequent communication. While the actual cadence may vary based on the needs of the employer, it is common to provide weekly communication updates to employers that indicate what has been accomplished and what the next steps are.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Employer Visits to Service Provider Locations
- Employers are invited to visit Olive-Harvey to tour the recently built facility. Because of the abundance of training resources and equipment, students can acquire significant hands-on experience. Site visits typically occur during the initial discovery meeting or shortly thereafter.
- In the CDL training program, employers are invited to give a presentation about their organization to current students. Presentations generally provide information about the organization, position requirements and benefits, and an opportunity for the employer to market themselves to students.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Service Provider Visits to Employer Workplace
When building relationships with employer partners, Olive-Harvey team members conduct site visits with employers. This provides an opportunity for the employer to familiarize the Olive-Harvey team with the organization’s needs and to demonstrate how a student can fit into the fabric of the organization.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Job Fairs and Hiring Events
- Hosting hiring events and job fairs is a central component of Olive-Harvey College’s employer engagement strategy. Job fairs allow employers to observe the organization’s ability to organize targeted events that attract qualified talent and to successfully support employers in connecting with candidates.
- Smaller, targeted industry-specific job fairs are hosted, which may include a limited number of job seekers (40-50) and/or employers (2-3) in addition to larger events with multiple industries, employers, and job seekers represented.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Metrics and Financial Factors
How organizations collect and share information about expected outcomes and potential financial rewards and incentives.
Sharing Metrics and Return on Investment with Employers
- In some instances, data is shared with employers to demonstrate program effectiveness. For example, bi-weekly, Olive-Harvey offers training for a commercial learner’s permit. This class has been found to consistently have an 80% passing rate for all participants. This information is shared with employers to help them evaluate program design.
- When recruiting new employers, Olive-Harvey shares metrics from previous successful engagements with employers, such as the retention, hiring, and/or completion rates of apprenticeship programs.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Explaining Subsidies and Tax Credits
- Olive-Harvey College provides many partnership opportunities for employers. However, they do not deliver all workforce development services directly. When employers are interested in accessing subsidies and tax credits, they are referred to organizations within the workforce ecosystem that can provide direct support and access to funding opportunities.
- For example, click here to view a flyer for Good Jobs Chicagoland, a collaborative initiative among employers, community organizations, and the City Colleges of Chicago.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Gathering Data to Track Employer Metrics
- Olive-Harvey uses spreadsheets and other tools to maintain metrics on student placements, reporting on progress for students at the first 30, 60, and 90 days following course completion.
- Olive-Harvey maintains data from hiring events that enable reporting on placements and outcomes for students and other attendees.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Organizational Level Considerations
How organizations are set up to build partnerships with employers, and how they leverage relationships with other organizations for better outcomes.
Organizational Structure, Resourcing, and Staffing
- Several officials throughout the City Colleges of Chicago organization are focused on initiating and managing employer relationships, including the Directors of Grant Administration, Career Placement, Career Readiness, and Workforce Partnerships. The Dean of Career Programs and Continuing Education is actively engaged in cultivating employer relationships and serves as a final decision-maker and approving authority for programming and policy.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Collaborating with Other Organizations
- Olive-Harvey completes most projects with employers in tandem with other workforce partners. Olive-Harvey typically provides the educational component of workforce projects and collaborates with other organizations specializing in client and support services. Workforce partners collaborate with Olive-Harvey to define the scope of activities for the project, which are recorded in a Letter of Intent or Memorandum of Understanding.
- To encourage participation from workforce providers with the Good Jobs Challenge, Olive-Harvey promotes shared placement opportunities.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Challenges
Common challenges and how organizations typically respond to them.
Workforce Development Jargon
- To help establish a rapport with employers, Olive-Harvey team members avoid using workforce acronyms and jargon. Instead, common language is used. For example, rather than referring to incumbent staff, Olive-Harvey team members refer to current staff.
- Additionally, to prepare for the initial meetings with an employer, Olive-Harvey team members identify keywords from an employer’s website and incorporate those terms into their discussions. This builds credibility with employers and helps to build trust.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Ensuring Compliance with Progammatic and Funding Requirements
- Employers sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Letter of Intent, which are legal documents that formalize the partnership details, the scope of work to be completed, and the activity schedule. Outcomes are monitored and evaluated periodically to ensure that the intended benefits for students and the employer are realized.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Handling Objections from Employers
- Many employers are discouraged by the requirement to disclose financial information to a government entity. This can cause fear that the financial information may be shared with the IRS and harm the employer. Olive-Harvey representatives explain to employers that information that is shared is only for reporting purposes and is not shared with taxation entities.
- Some employers are hesitant to accept grant funding because of the time commitment and expertise needed to complete the documentation required by funders. Olive-Harvey representatives complete many forms for employers to reduce the administrative burden.
- Accepting grant funding may introduce new challenges for an employer. For instance, accepting funding may require an employee to be promoted or receive a wage increase. Hiring that employee is a decision that may have a long-term impact on a business and requires additional consideration. When this occurs, Olive-Harvey may assign an HR Lead to work with an employer to assess the opportunity more holistically.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Joachim Borha in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
