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"Talent is found in every neighborhood throughout our great city, but too many residents are still left out and left behind, which holds Chicago's economy back," said Mayor Lightfoot. "Alberto Ortega's track record of business collaboration and nonprofit leadership will help us build a more equitable city, create new career opportunities for residents and develop an unmatched 21st-century workforce."

Mr. Ortega founded the Workforce Employer Resource Collaborative (WERC), a network of more than 35 nonprofit organizations that aims to match employers with qualified workers, connect people to family-sustaining wage jobs, and customize strategies to enhance recruitment and retention. He has served as a Board Member for the Center for Economic Progress and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Excellence and Workplace Well-Being Committees.

“It is truly an honor to join Mayor Lightfoot and the entire City to build relationships for economic and social impact through meaningful internal as well as external engagement activities to continue to advance the City as an inclusive and diverse employer, and bring jobs and economic growth to all of Chicago,” said Mr. Ortega.

Ortega will oversee the newly created Chicago Construction Careers Council (C4), a multi-department and multi-agency task force charged with creating new standards for hiring, training, and supplying labor needs for construction projects in Chicago. C4 will establish new outreach and data sharing procedures to reach more job seekers throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods, and to track career progress over time.

To prepare more youth for high growth potential industries, Ortega will work alongside City departments and business leaders to expand work-based learning opportunities for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) students under the Career Launch Chicago umbrella. Career Launch Chicago is the city’s new youth apprenticeship effort that will connect CPS students with college coursework and paid work-based learning, leading to post-secondary credentials from City Colleges of Chicago toward careers in health care, information technology, or advanced manufacturing.

“Chicago’s strength lies in our ability to attract and maintain educational and job opportunities for our residents for today and for the future,” said Alderman Susan Sadlowski-Garza (10), Chair of the Committee on Workforce Development. “I look forward to working with Mr. Ortega in creating a robust workforce agenda that will attract businesses as well as individuals throughout the entire City.”

The City’s workforce development efforts will also align with the Mayor’s new economic growth strategy, which is focused on renewing growth across the City’s neighborhoods, including downtown, by focusing on high impact industries displaying growth potential for the future: transportation: technology; healthcare & life sciences; and tourism & hospitality.

“Chicago is a world-class city and the region’s economic engine, and our administration is focused on ensuring that all of our residents can benefit from this growth, regardless of where they live,” said Samir Mayekar, Deputy Mayor, Economic & Neighborhood Development. “Alberto will be instrumental in working with City stakeholders across the spectrum to propel new economic opportunity for our residents and create more financial resiliency for communities that have been overlooked for too long.”

The Director of Workforce Strategy and Business Engagement is a grant-funded position through the Pritzker Traubert Foundation. This position aligns with the Foundation’s mission, which focuses on investments to help address the opportunity gap faced by Chicago’s working families and communities.

Mr. Ortega holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago.

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A new state-funded scholarship program means nearly 200 new College of Lake County students will have all of their costs covered, even receiving help with textbooks and potentially child care.

CLC was one of 15 community colleges across the state to receive money as part of a new grant aimed at expanding short-term workforce training opportunities in high-need communities. READ MORE AT CHICAGO TRIBUNE

January is one of the busiest hiring months of the year and recent economic data suggests a favorable environment in 2020 for job seekers. According to the Labor Department, the U.S. unemployment rate continues to hover near a 50-year low.

The tightening labor market has placed job seekers in a position of power. READ MORE AT FORBES

A good book can take a reader on a journey, but for migrants on an actual journey a book can also uplift, entertain and inspire.

New Mexico author Denise Chavez created Libros para el Viaje, or books for the journey, with that idea in mind. READ MORE AT U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

While Latinos faced brutal attacks in 2019, including a rise in hate crimes against our communities and vicious political assaults aimed at immigrants and people of color, this year also reminded us of our might. Across fields, our people have been using their voices, talents and smarts to uplift our stories and promote our culture.  READ MORE AT REMEZCLA

While Hispanics are the fastest growing minority population in the US, few studies have assessed whether the proportion of Hispanics in a neighborhood associates with bystander CPR delivery and survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. READ MORE AT FUTURITY

Julián Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio who served as housing secretary under President Barack Obama, said Thursday he is suspending his candidacy and ending his effort to become the nation’s first Latino president.

“I’m so proud of the campaign we’ve run together,” Castro, 45, said in a video released by his campaign. READ MORE AT THE WASHINGTON POST

Hispanics are strong consumers that account for over $56 billion in leisure travel every year, according to the National Tour Association. When it comes down to the bare facts and travel habits, U.S. Hispanics travel more, taking an average of two trips than non-Hispanics. When they travel, Hispanics outspend non-Hispanics by an average of $300 and are more likely to travel in a larger group of people. READ MORE AT FORBES

U.S. multicultural media revenues generated from advertising and marketing aimed at Hispanic, African and Asian Americans are projected to grow at an accelerated 6.3% to $28.72 billion in 2020, representing the fastest growth of this burgeoning market in eight year. READ MORE AT RADIO + TELEVISION BUSINESS REPORT

A new year brings hope for love, money, success, and more. But for many Latinos, none of these wishes will come true without following a few important steps. Here are 10 New Year's Eve traditions (and superstitions) that Latinos do. READ MORE AT LATINA

Nationally, a Washington Post analysis of school district data from 46 states and the District of Columbia finds that only one-tenth of 1 percent of Latino students attend a school system where the portion of Latino teachers equals or exceeds the percentage of Latino students.

It’s only marginally better for black students: 7 percent were enrolled in a district where the share of black teachers matches or exceeds that for students. Among Asian students, it was 4.5 percent.

Meanwhile, 99.7 percent of white students attended a district where the faculty was as white as the student body, The Post found. READ MORE AT RECORDNET

If you’re one of the many professionals who dreads the thought of attending a networking social, here are five tips you need to know.

Tip #1 – Just bite the bullet and recognize that you need to do it. READ MORE AT FORBES

From friendships to salary negotiations, 2020 can be the year you conquer work and your career. Taking hold of your future begins with standing up for yourself, while also learning to navigate the complicated world of office politics. READ MORE AT THE NEW YORK TIMES

Attracting more diverse hires could also help mitigate the effects of the continuing information-technology talent shortage, CIOs say.

Workplace diversity is a chronic problem at technology firms and within IT departments at nontech companies. READ MORE AT WALL STREET JOURNAL

Hispanics are the least likely racial and ethnic group to see a doctor when they have health problems. That’s according to a study by the Census Bureau. There are several barriers that discourage some from that community from seeking medical attention in the U.S. READ MORE AT SIDE EFFECTS

Whether it’s attracting qualified applicants or retaining top performers, these recruitment and retention strategies can help your company meet its workforce goals.

Showcase growth potential

Job seekers aren’t the only ones who need to make a good impression. Today, more than ever, employers need to sell their competitive advantage to potential candidates, and the easiest place to start is with a wow-factor job description. READ MORE AT PITTSBURGH BUSINESS TIMES

You likely already have too much to do, too many goals, too many unfinished projects, and too many disappointments from this past year.

So as you look ahead to 2020, the idea of adding more seems kind of exciting but also a bit daunting. That’s why as a time management coach, I recommend that you do the opposite. Resolve to do less, and experience your best year possible.

Less is more. Here are five resolutions to make it happen. READ MORE AT FAST COMPANY

Whether you’re able to take this week off or not, the time between Christmas and New Year’s offers a unique opportunity to reflect on your career and where you want to go next. Instead of setting arbitrary resolutions, you can choose to be more thoughtful in assessing what you really need from your next career step.

Here are the five things you should focus on to make more meaningful career goals in 2020. READ MORE AT FORBES

The tech industry is growing in Arizona and nationally, with net employment in 2018 bringing on more than 260,000 new jobs nationally. Since the employment shortage that followed the Great Recession a decade ago, net tech employment has increased by an estimated 1.9 million jobs.

Yet, as the industry is growing, it’s leaving people of color and women behind. READ MORE AT AZBIGMEDIA

It makes sense that as the Hispanic community grows across the United States, Hispanic retail stores grow along with them. But putting data to this feeling is tougher than many realize.

According to Kantar Consulting’s 2018 Monitor study, Hispanics over-index all other ethnic groups in cultural connection elements such as family, food, recipes, and language. The study also found that 92 percent of Hispanics believe it feels natural to live in the United States and embrace its culture but also retain the culture of their origin. READ MORE AT BLUE BOOK SERVICES