Rahm landing JPMorgan Chase 'skills gap' grant today

WASHINGTON — Last week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel flew here to appear on a panel with Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan’s chairman and chief executive, to tout Chicago’s work on jobs skills at an event to launch the new Chase five-year, $250 million initiative to close the “skills gap” in the U.S. and Europe. On Tuesday, Emanuel will announce the city will get $15 million from Chase for “skills gap” training.

According to City Hall, Emanuel “will join Glenn Tilton of JPMorgan Chase for a panel discussion and announcement regarding funding for Chicago’s efforts to close the skills gap through New Skills at Work.” The event is at a biology lab at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Van Buren St.

Emanuel and Dimon were on a panel hosted by the Aspen Institute to kick off the Chase skills gap campaign.

Excerpt….

WASHINGTON — Mayor Rahm Emanuel appeared at an Aspen Institute forum here on Thursday to tout Chicago City Colleges jobs skills programs and to bolster a bid to get a cut of a new JP Morgan Chase five-year, $250 million initiative to close the “skills gap” in the U.S. and Europe.

Emanuel discussed the city’s “Colleges to Careers” courses while on a panel with Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan’s chairman and chief executive to highlight the launch of the “skills gap” donations.

Emanuel was in Washington on Nov. 7 to discuss the City Colleges of Chicago jobs training programs at the World Bank headquarters here. Emanuel agreed to be on Aspen Institute panel in anticipation of making a strong push for JPMorgan money.

“You didn’t think I flew out here just for the charm of it?” he quipped.

Emanuel said he believes Chicago is “well positioned” to land JPMorgan funding, he also joked, “Well, I am going to ground Jamie’s plane in Chicago.

On a serious note, Emanuel talked about customizing city colleges programs to the needs of Chicago companies and to eliminate any “stigma” associated with attending junior colleges. Emanuel also talked about the need for students to be taught “soft skills” as well as “hard skill” job training. Soft skills have to do with training youths on appearance, dress, manners, etc. associated with the workplace.