(Evanston, IL)--  The Youth Job Center of Evanston convened a series of conversations last October with local agencies providing job-training and placement services.  The primary goal of the meetings was to determine voids and duplications in service as well as to develop an easy access point for service delivery. The immediate result is the creation of the Evanston Community Resource Guide.  This guide can now be accessed at: http://evanstonresource.com/. 

The resource guide allows service providers to quickly access an agency and make an accurate, focused referral to their clients.  Additionally, the guide can be accessed by end-users making it easy for them to secure the job-training and other services they need.

“The goal of the workforce development meetings was to ensure that referrals were being made across different agencies,” says Youth Job Center Executive Director, Sacella Smith.  “The Evanston Community Resource Guide is both easy to use and keep up-to-date.  It will also help us track referrals and make sure that those seeking services are being served!”

The YJC will continue to convene the workforce development meetings.  “The original thought behind these meetings was to provide a forum for Evanston not-for-profits to work better together,” states YJC Board President, Karen Hunt.  “But now we see them as way for everyone to be better informed with the end result being improved service-delivery for those who need assistance.”

Plans for going forward include developing standardized metrics for tracking referrals, shared best practices for service delivery and developing collaborative methods for securing funding.   The outcome will be a well-informed community of service providers that can ensure accurate and timely referrals to their clients.

The Evanston Community Resource Guide was developed by LIFT with a grant from the Evanston Community Foundation.  The mission of LIFT is is to combat poverty and expand opportunity for all people in the United States. The Evanston Community Resource Guide is a tangible effort in that direction.

The Youth Job Center is a nonprofit agency in Evanston that assists job seekers ages 14-25 in finding employment.  The YJC works with employers to help them meet their staffing needs by referring applicants who are trained in basic job skills and ready to get to work.