Andrea Zopp for US Senate

The Capitol Fax writes about the head of the Chicago Urban League Andrea Zopp considering a run against current US Senator Mark Kirk. He writes about the many negatives if she makes her leap in next year's race. Do you like her chances?

Progress Illinois: Youth Unemployment Summit Highlights Illinois Teens' Urgent Need For Jobs

I recently found this article from Progress Illinois. There was a 19 person panel consisting of various politicians from the city, county, and state levels last Thursday hosted by the Chicago Urban League. The youth of Chicago gave testimony of their difficulty in finding a job:

Illinois’ teen unemployment rate is among the highest in the country and during a panel on Thursday at the Chicago Urban League, local elected officials came face-to-face with Chicago’s unemployed youth.

“Not being able to provide for your kid or help your family is an awful feeling, I feel like nothing, but I don’t have opportunities to work,” said Dwillie Bush, 18, during the panel. A senior at Banner Academy South High School in the far South Side neighborhood of Jeffrey Manor, Bush is father to a four-month-old boy and lives with his single mother and four siblings in Englewood.

“Point blank, I need a job,” he said.

In front of a 19-person panel that featured a collection of aldermen, commissioners and legislative representatives, more than 15 teenagers gave testimony to the struggles of unemployment in Chicagoland. Thursday’s panelists were also presented with a recent report explaining how teens, particularly low-income and minority teens, have been excluded from the labor market and the negative economic impact Illinois has seen as a result.

CBS Chicago: CTA Going All Out To Ensure South Side Residents Get Work On Red Line Rebuild

Here's another article on efforts to help south siders affected by the scheduled closure of Red Line South next year get some of those jobs that will come out of it:

The Chicago Transit Authority is taking extraordinary steps to make sure that South Side residents have a good shot at the jobs to be created the Red Line’s tracks are rebuilt through that area.

As WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports, Andrea Zopp, president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Urban League, says her group is reaching out to make sure South Siders are in line to the 400 bus driver jobs, 100 traffic aide positions, and the contracts resulting from the Red Line Track Renewal.

“We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to work closely with the CTA, who is really concerned as we are about ensuring that these investments that get made in our community also get shared with our community,” Zopp said. 

Read the rest!

Rainbow Push/Chicago Urban League Greet Yale Students on First Day of School.

RPC CUL Back to School 8.8.11

First Time Homebuyers Class

Urban League's nextOne program developing minority business dreams

Former Chatham Food owners Leonard & Donna Harris went through this program, as described in the Chicago Sun-Times:

Ti Ron Gibbs has watched his company's profits and revenues more than triple in the last year. Lee Reid has been able to keep his real estate business on track in the midst of recession, and a trio of entrepreneurs, whose businesses had been on different paths a year ago, are teaming up on a new green technology business venture.

They credit a Chicago Urban League program, designed to help accelerate black business growth and economic development in African-American communities, with helping them find new market opportunities and expand.

Eighteen months ago, the League launched its nextOne program to assist a select group of established Chicago companies in partnership with Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. The intensive six-month program provided industry specific one-on-one business coaching to entrepreneurs.

It targeted businesses with sales from $100,000 to $5 million. Among them was Gibbs' TEFL Institute, which trains college students and others to teach English as a foreign language around the world.

"Customer satisfaction is at an all-time high," said Gibbs. "We're able to measure it. We evaluate the course, the instructors. We get feedback from all our students now. Before we didn't do that."