Winter '05

Nonprofits across Chicago, including National Able Network, do a commendable job serving the interests of all manner of clients with a variety of needs and abilities. We have special programs and services that address disability issues and dislocated worker concerns and that help at-risk youth and older workers, to name a few. What all of these people share is a desire to find meaningful employment leading to long-term self-sufficiency-if not downright happiness. Their common goal seems to lie vaguely somewhere out there with the many varied businesses in our area, that is, in the hands of a variety of potential future "bosses."

National Able Network is developing new ways to open employers' doors and connect clients to employment opportunities that serve their mutual interests. To that end, we have shifted our focus and adapted to a slightly changed view of who is a customer. Our approach starts with working directly with businesses to develop a thorough and considered understanding of each one's needs and challenges. By taking the time to really listen to employers, we have taken the first steps toward successful future placements. The fact is that the only good job matches are ones where the employers' and the employees' needs intersect. Our staff's responsibility is to understand both sets of desires and balance their respective objectives to do them justice.

Conversations with local business people have been revealing in several other areas, beyond just current hiring plans. Many of the businesses National Able Network serves report that they need assistance with employees who need instruction in English as a second language (ESL) and that they have an interest in providing their employees with a variety of customized training and outplacement services. We have already launched several programs to address these requests, and initial feedback from employers has been uniformly positive.

To facilitate ongoing dialogue in these and other areas, our Business Services Team is also sponsoring a joint employer advisory council. The council will meet on a regular basis to help set service and program priorities. We look forward to sharing the ideas and results of this group with you in the coming year.

Best wishes for a healthy, happy New Year.