Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership at 69 W Washington, Suite 2860 is the federally designated workforce-development board for Chicago and Cook County, running 16 American Job Center locations across the region. Free services include WIOA-funded training scholarships up to
0,000, on-the-job-training subsidies, and Sector Bridge programs targeting healthcare, manufacturing, IT, and transportation. Call (312) 603-0200 weekdays 8:30am-5pm.
(312) 603-0200 · 69 W Washington St Suite 2860, Chicago, IL 60602 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website
Goodwill of Metro Chicago at 2451 S Washtenaw runs free workforce-development programs and Job Connection retail-training across 80+ Chicagoland Goodwill stores. Programs serve mothers returning to work, women with disabilities, and individuals with criminal records. Call (312) 588-4300 weekdays 8am-5pm. Goodwill of Northern Illinois separately serves Rockford and the I-90 corridor with its own workforce programs and store network.
(312) 588-4300 · 2451 S Washtenaw Ave, Chicago, IL 60608 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Illinois SBDC has 35+ centers hosted by community colleges and universities — including Bradley University in Peoria, SIU Carbondale, and College of DuPage — offering free one-on-one business counseling, market research, and capital-access help to Illinois women entrepreneurs. Call (217) 524-5856 weekdays 8am-5pm to find the nearest center. SBDC International Trade Centers help Illinois women-owned businesses export and access WBE certification.
(217) 524-5856 · Multiple IL locations · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Year Up Chicago at 36 S Wabash, Suite 1100 offers a free one-year career-training program for young adults ages 18-29 combining six months of skills training in IT, finance, or sales with a six-month corporate internship at Chicago employers like JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Salesforce. Participants earn a weekly stipend. Call (312) 784-0348 weekdays 8am-5pm; cohorts start every January and July with rolling applications.
(312) 784-0348 · 36 S Wabash Ave Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60603 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website
CareerOneStop is the U.S. Department of Labor's career portal with Illinois-specific data on in-demand jobs, salary ranges by metro area (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin vs. downstate), and the American Job Center locator. Mothers can use the free Skills Matcher tool, take career assessments, and search Illinois apprenticeship opportunities in healthcare, construction, and manufacturing. All tools are free and account-optional.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
American Job Centers — branded Illinois workNet in Illinois — operate in 26 Illinois workforce regions including Chicago, suburban Cook, the collar counties, central Illinois, and southern Illinois. Each AJC offers free resume help, interview coaching, WIOA-funded training scholarships, and access to Wagner-Peyser employment services. The national locator finds the nearest Illinois AJC to a mother's home or transit-accessible location.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
U.S. DOL Women's Bureau publishes Illinois-specific data on women in the workforce — pay gaps by occupation, women in nontraditional jobs (skilled trades, STEM), and care economy trends. The Chicago Regional Office covers Illinois and supports policy work on paid leave, child care, and equal pay. Free reports and toolkits help Illinois mothers and employers understand state and federal protections under the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and PWFA.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Dress for Success operates affiliates serving Illinois women in Chicago (Dress for Success Worldwide-Central on the West Side), Quad Cities, and other downstate communities. Each affiliate provides free interview-ready workwear, ongoing Professional Women's Group networking, and career coaching for referred clients. The national site explains the referral process and lists current Illinois affiliate locations and contact details.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Bottomless Closet operates affiliates including a Chicago-area chapter that provides free professional clothing and career coaching to women entering or re-entering the workforce. Mothers are referred by partner agencies like Cara Chicago, Heartland Alliance, and YWCA. The boutique experience includes head-to-toe interview outfits, accessories, and follow-up workwear after job placement. The site lists current Illinois affiliate information.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Goodwill nationally operates Illinois career centers through three separate territories: Goodwill of Metro Chicago, Goodwill of Northern Illinois (Rockford), and Goodwill of Central Illinois (Peoria). Each operates free job-training, GED prep, and placement services with funding from WIOA and state grants. The national site routes Illinois mothers to the Goodwill serving their county and lists current training cohorts.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
SCORE has Illinois chapters in Chicago, Naperville, Northwest Cook County, Fox Valley, Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, and downstate communities — staffed by 500+ retired and working executive volunteers offering free 1-on-1 business mentoring. Illinois women entrepreneurs can request a mentor matched to their industry, attend free local workshops on business plans and marketing, and access templates and webinars 24/7.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
SBA Office of Women's Business Ownership funds the Women's Business Development Center in Chicago — the nation's oldest WBC — plus satellite centers serving downstate Illinois. The Office also administers WOSB and EDWOSB federal contracting certifications used by Illinois women-owned firms competing for federal procurement at facilities like Rock Island Arsenal, Argonne National Lab, and Scott AFB. SBA Illinois District Office is in Chicago.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Frequently Asked
- How many job & career resources are in Illinois?
- Women's Corner tracks 14 job & career resources for women in Illinois.
- Are job & career resources in Illinois free?
- 14 of the 14 listed job & career resources in Illinois are explicitly free or low-cost.
- Which cities in Illinois have job & career resources?
- Listings span cities including Chicago.
- What are some examples of job & career resources in Illinois?
- Featured entries include Illinois Department of Employment Security, IllinoisJobLink, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Goodwill Industries of Metropolitan Chicago, Illinois Small Business Development Center.
- Do these listings include phone numbers?
- 6 of 14 Illinois job & career listings include phone numbers.
- Where do I get free job training?
- Your local American Job Center (find at CareerOneStop.org or call 1-877-872-5627) offers free training, resume help, and job placement through the WIOA program. Goodwill, Dress for Success, and Bottomless Closet provide job-readiness, interview clothing, and coaching. Community colleges run short-term certificate programs (CNA, medical billing, IT) under
,000 that lead to immediate jobs.
- Are there programs that hire single mothers?
- Yes. Many employers partner with Goodwill, YWCA, and Workforce Boards on second-chance and single-mom hiring tracks — childcare assistance, flexible schedules, and tuition reimbursement included. Look at 'Family Forward NC' style state initiatives, certified Family-Friendly employers, and federal contractors (required to support working parents). Healthcare and logistics are the fastest-growing single-mom-friendly fields.
- How do I write a resume after years out of the workforce?
- Skip the chronological format — use a functional or hybrid resume that leads with skills (organization, budgeting, time management, problem-solving from caregiving counts). Reframe volunteer work, PTA, and freelance work as professional experience. Free help: American Job Centers, Dress for Success Career Center, LinkedIn's free resume builder, and the SBA Women's Business Centers.
- What if I have a criminal record?
- You still qualify for most jobs — Ban-the-Box laws in 37 states delay background questions until later in hiring. Federal contractors can't ask about records on the initial application. The Federal Bonding Program insures employers against loss for hiring you. Many states allow expungement of certain records after a waiting period — ask legal aid about clearing your record.