The Institute for Work and the Economy is an independent, not-for-profit think tank operated under the direction of a national board of directors. The mission of the Institute is to recognize and address emerging issues in workforce development policy and management and to develop novel solutions and strategies for resolving structural problems facing the workforce system. It provides early warning and provides guidance to policy makers, opinion leaders and funders supporting workforce development on issues just over the horizon.

In 2005, the Institute launched a project on the integration of immigrants in the workplace before immigration became a front-page issue. The Institute is now engaged on a project addressing the challenges faced by foreign-educated workers in finding employment that is appropriate for their skills and education. The Institute is proposing a U.S.-Mexico dialogue on mutual concerns regarding the training and education of workers on both sides of the border. It also is developing a concept for a predictive market in occupations, an initiative focusing on the employment challenges faced by middle-income families, and a broad initiative examining the workforce opportunities and challenges in the Midwest. Finally, The Institute occasionally proposes policies for public consideration, including those on training adults who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina and for a retail-city partnership to move entry-level retail workers into higher value careers.

In the area of professional development, the Institute has developed a sophisticated and technically advanced electronic knowledge exchange. The Workforce Open Knowledge Exchange (WOKE), is an electronic resource facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience within the workforce development community. Its advanced content management and search capabilities bring together all fields of practice and policy within workforce development. The underlying contextual mapping supports explorations of complex issues. And, our commitment to the use of the most advance software technology while staying within industry standards will assure the long-term viability of this application as well as support its broad dissemination.

The Institute is staffed full-time by its Executive Director. All other staff members are independent researchers and contractors of the Institute. The Institute was housed at and supported by Northern Illinois University from its inception in 2000 through September 2007. It now functions as a standalone organization.

For futher information, you may contact Peter Creticos at:

"last name" [at] workandeconomy.org

or by mail at:

Institute for Work and the Economy
P. O. Box 4061
Oak Park, IL 60303-4061

or by phone at:

+1 (773) 580-5417