Welcome to the archives of SmartWork, the official newsletter of WorkforceChicago2.0. 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 WorkforceChicago2.0 initiative and does not focus on any one of our Nine Exemplary Practices.
  
  CEO Interview with Anne Arvia, President & CEO of ShoreBank