Introduction to the Illinois workNet Portal

In 2005, the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) launched the Illinois workNet Portal. Funded by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Illinois workNet aims to meet the state's workforce and economic needs.

The Portal has something for everyone. Job seekers, students, employers, non-profits, and state and local entities can all benefit from the resources we offer. If you're interested in using the resources in the portal, this article is a great place to start!

What is the Illinois workNet Portal?

First, let's clarify: "portal" in this case simply means Illinois workNet as a whole. The phrases "Illinois workNet website" and "Illinois workNet portal" are interchangeable.

With that said, the Portal is a structured online system. It is a centralized source of information and resources for job seekers, employers, and workforce organizations in Illinois. User experience is a big part of the Portal, which makes it easy to quickly find what you're looking for.

What Kinds of Resources are Available?

There's a wide variety of resources you can find on the workNet Portal. However, they mainly fall into a few categories.

First, we offer a huge collection of downloadable resources in the Download & Print library. We also keep an IOER library of external resources that we've approved. In addition, we keep a collection of articles that go into more detail on certain topics. We will continue to add new articles as new topics need to be addressed.

Additionally, workNet is divided into several different sections, each with its own articles, tools, videos, and resources. Here is a quick overview of each one:

Explore Careers – Everything job seekers need to know to start exploring their options can be found here. It contains surveys, wages & trends, demand occupations, and labor market information (LMI).

Training & Credentials – This menu is primarily dedicated to training program search tools. Use them to find WIOA, public, private, and adult education programs.

Qualify for Jobs – Here, you'll mostly find guides that will help you identify the skills you'll need to look for and obtain a job. Read about skills employers want, digital literacy, resume writing, and more.

Job Openings & Recruiting – This menu is dedicated to job search tools, resources for recruiters, small business resources, and the like.

Network & Connect – Look here for the Event Calendar, Service Finder, Social Media Guide, and other community engagement resources.

Layoff Assistance – This menu offers tools and resources for preparing for and dealing with layoffs.

Updates & Help – Miscellaneous tools and resources, news, the glossary, and more can be found here. If you're unsure where to start, this might be a place for you to do so. It includes a variety of resources for users such as youth, people with disabilities, veterans, and people that need help with money management. It even contains our Quick Start Guide.

Any site visitor can use the tools and resources mentioned above. On the other hand, registering for an account gives you access to even more.

For example, anyone with an account can use the My Dashboard features, which gives them a collection of tools. These include Employment 101, Skill and Interest Surveys, Assessments, Resume Builder Tools, and more. Users can also bookmark items they find on workNet or in its IOER library. This way, they can easily return to resources they find useful.

On the other hand, if you have a partner account, you'll be able to access even more useful tools that help you serve your customers. These include the Customer Support Center, Incumbent Worker Tracking System, and Assessments Dashboard.

More Info

If you're interested in Illinois workNet, consider checking out Continuance Magazine, along with the companion piece on us published in the latest issue.