Newsletters

Welcome to the archives of SmartWork, the official newsletter of workforceChicago. Just like the initiative, this newsletter showcases exemplary practices in employee learning and development in Chicago and beyond.

SmartWork provides valuable insights from and about CEOs and organizations making a difference in their workforce development and educational strategies. SmartWork provides you with forward-looking and actionable ideas about employee development and powerful workforce development models to bring your company success.

Each issue of SmartWork is oriented around one of our Nine Exemplary Practices and explores the many and varied issues around excellence in the practice highlighted.


January 2008

Exemplary Practice #5 Organization is committed to expanding knowledge beyond job-related or technical skills. This issue also features an interview with Jim Skogsbergh, CEO of Advocate Healthcare, one of the 2007 Award Winners.


September 2007

This issue of SmartWork highlights the 2007 Award Winners Advocate Health Care and Deloitte & Touche USA- who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to workforce development- and features a pertinent article by Erin White regarding the effectiveness of corporate tuition-reimbursement plans.


March 2007

Exemplary Practice #2 Employee Learning is Aligned With Business Goals. This issue of SmartWork discusses how to adopt and communicate clear goals throughout the organization that ensure that learning and development activities are aligned with business goals.

CEO Interviews with Tedd Hoff, Chief Learning Officer, IBM, and Dave Carlquist, Vice President of the Americas-Central Region, IBM


December 2006

Exemplary Practice #4 Leadership Development is Emphasized at All Levels of the Organization. This issue of SmartWork focuses on the different ways that management can cultivate and recognize leaders throughout all levels of the workforce.

CEO Interview with Pat Ormsby, President and CEO, Bimba Manufacturing


September 2006

Exemplary Practice # 1 Leadership Vision and Commitment The fall issue of SmartWork examines the dedication and values of CEOs and senior management and how they can elevate learning and development in an organization.

CEO Interview with Jack Rooney, President and CEO, U.S. Cellular


June 2006

Exemplary Practice # 8 Alliances with Educational Institutions are Central to Learning Strategy

This issue of SmartWork focuses on the relationships between business and Higher Education in promoting employee learning and development.

Interview with Sylvia Manning, Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Raymond F. McCaskey, President and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois


February 2006

Exemplary Practice # 7 Strategic Use of Technology for Meeting Learning Objectives

This issue of SmartWork focuses on the use of technology in the employee learning and development.

CEO Interview with Timothy J. Reedy, President & CEO, ConferencePlus Inc.


November 2005

Our introductory issue of SmartWork serves as an initiation into the scope of the workforceChicago initiative and does not focus on any one of our Nine Exemplary Practices.

CEO Interview with Anne Arvia, President & CEO of ShoreBank


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