Northwestern University to launch All Evanston Hiring Hub to connect workforce training to jobs
Funded by the Ryan Family Foundation and powered by STEAMe, the three-year demonstration offers a model other communities can build on.
EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern University and the Ryan Family Foundation today announced plans to launch the All Evanston Hiring Hub, a cross-community workforce initiative that will connect residents completing sector- or occupation-based training to employment through the Ryan Family Foundation Workforce Development Initiative (RFWDI), a partnership between Northwestern, Youth Job Center, Evanston Own It, The Trade Collective, National Louis University and Per Scholas.
Powered by STEAMe’s technology, the All Evanston Hiring Hub will solve a challenge no single organization can solve alone — scaling the last mile between training and employment while minimizing the burden on both workforce organizations and employers. The Hub will provide shared digital hiring infrastructure and the data analytics layer needed to measure placement, retention and economic impact at both the individual pipeline level and across the broader workforce ecosystem.
The Hub will give clients of each workforce organization a direct line to local employers aligned to their specific training programs, and provide employers with a credible pipeline of trained, job-ready local talent. Funders and community leaders will gain real-time visibility into outcomes and local labor market insights to create a more responsive workforce development ecosystem.
“The Ryan Family Foundation investment in workforce development will bring access to economic opportunity for every resident, measured in careers not training completions,” said Jon Kimmel, workforce development specialist at Northwestern. “That investment will power the All Evanston Hiring Hub to connect employers, workforce organizations and community leaders to help more Evanston residents find meaningful, living-wage careers.”
As the anchor institution, Northwestern will convene and coordinate workforce partners, oversee curated industry- and occupation-specific job portals, job placement and lead outcome measurement.
“Northwestern’s commitment to Evanston extends far beyond our campus,” said Dave Davis, assistant vice president of Neighborhood and Community Relations at Northwestern. “As anchor of the All Evanston Hiring Hub, we will apply our research capabilities and community relationships to make sure the talent Evanston develops connects to the jobs Evanston needs.”
The Ryan Family Foundation will fund the three-year demonstration, supporting a community-driven effort to strengthen workforce pathways, employer engagement and economic opportunity.
Training partners — including Youth Job Center, National Louis University, Per Scholas and The Trade Collective — will deliver the sector- and occupation-based training that feeds the pipelines. STEAMe’s digital and data infrastructure will create structured pathways from training to employment, tracking placement, retention, wage progression and labor force participation across the full ecosystem.
Over the next three years, the Hub will test and refine a model designed to strengthen workforce participation, address regional talent shortages and demonstrate how communities nationwide can build connected talent ecosystems through common infrastructure, with learnings documented and shared along the way.
“For years, communities have invested heavily in training, but the last mile to
employment has remained fragmented and difficult to measure,” said Rachel Kohler, CEO of STEAMe. “Evanston has the talent, the employers, the partners and the commitment to make this work. STEAMe will provide the digital and data infrastructure to connect those efforts, helping communities move from training to placement to prosperity while creating a model for workforce ecosystems across the country.”
BOILERPLATES
About STEAMe LLC
STEAMe LLC is a Chicago-based workforce technology company providing digital and data infrastructure that helps communities scale talent pipelines and workforce outcomes. Through its Hiring Hub solution, STEAMe connects workforce organizations, employers, learners, and community stakeholders to improve job placement, employer engagement, and outcome measurement. STEAMe’s founding team previously built NowPow, the nationally recognized care coordination platform that connected more than 15 million people to community resources across 14 states. Today, STEAMe applies that same expertise to workforce development, helping communities align training, employment, and outcomes through scalable workforce infrastructure.
About Northwestern University
Founded in 1851, Northwestern University is one of the country’s leading private research and teaching universities with an enrollment of approximately 8,000 full-time undergraduate students and approximately 8,000 full-time graduate and professional students and approximately 2,000 part-time students on campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, and Doha, Qatar. Northwestern combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment that transcends traditional academic boundaries. Northwestern provides students and faculty exceptional opportunities for intellectual, personal and professional growth in a setting enhanced by the richness of Chicago.
Media Contact
Amy Lee at 847-491-4889 or amy.lee@northwestern.edu
