WorkNet DuPage reports $2.2M in training, serves 440 people in program year 2025

WorkNet DuPage staff reported to the DuPage County Economic Development Committee on Aug. 18 that the agency provided over $2.2 million in training to 440 job seekers during program year 2025 (July 1–June 30), delivering 819 training vouchers and closing 255 client cases.

"We ended up 12% above where we needed to be," the presenter, Lisa Schbach, said, summarizing the county's compliance with program benchmarks tied to WIOA funding and state requirements. Schbach told the committee the county exceeded the Department of Labor's spending benchmarks and Illinois' direct-training minimums across the three funding streams: adults, dislocated workers and young adults.

Schbach said 312 of the served clients were new this program year and 128 were carryovers from previous years. Credential attainment was roughly 74% among participants who completed credentialed training, and median earnings second-quarter after exit exceeded state goals for adults and dislocated workers but did not meet the target for the young adult grant.

The presentation also described outreach patterns by ZIP code, the types of credentials funded — nursing, patient care tech, IT certifications, CDL, advanced manufacturing and HVAC — and the program's dual-customer approach serving both job seekers and employers. Schbach said staff will push to expand work-based learning and supportive services in the coming year, noting a roughly 2% overall increase in WIOA allocation and a nearly 25% increase in the young adult grant.

The committee received the report; no formal vote was required on the presentation. The county will circulate the presentation slides to members for further review.