The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 is a nationwide effort to create jobs, jumpstart growth and transform our economy to compete in the 21st century. The Workforce Board in partnership with the workNet Centers and the workforce system partners in North and Northwest suburban Cook County are developing programs and services in response to the resources. The Workforce Board is working with the stakeholders to maximize the investment of the public funds towards upgrading the education and skills of the workforce and creating linkages to high quality job opportunities. 
In the face of an economic crisis, the magnitude of which we have not seen since the Great Depression, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act represents a strategic -- and significant -- investment in our country's future. The Act will save and create three to four million jobs, 90 percent of them in the private sector. It will provide more than $150 billion to low-income and vulnerable households -- spurring increased economic activity that will save and create more than one million jobs.
The Workforce Board received $5.7 million in Recovery Act Workforce Investment Act Funds to equip the workforce in North and Northwest Suburban Cook County with the skills, tools and resources needed to meet the needs of the employers and businesses in the new economy. The Workforce Board and the communities it serves have embraced the intent of the Recovery Act and have implemented programs and services expeditiously and effectively, with full transparency and accountability of the funds.
Summer Youth Employment Programs were immediately funded with Youth Recovery Act dollars and over 400 youth have successfully been placed at worksites throughout the communities gaining meaningful work experience and valuable job skills.
The Illinois workNet Centers in Arlington Heights and Evanston, in partnership with the local community colleges and state and community based agencies, accelerated programs to assist over 1,000 unemployed individuals with more than 600 receiving Recovery Act funds for training and retraining services.
The Recovery Report is published by the Whitehouse noting that in the first 100 days since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law, more than $112 billion in Recovery Act Funds has been obligated and more than 150,000 jobs have been created nationwide. The report highlights 100 Recovery Act funded projects throughout the nation; including the Elgin Community College Summer Youth Employment Program (#64, page 18).
The Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago have released the Metropolitan Chicago Region ARRA Summer Youth Employment Programs report. The report provides information on how funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) were utilized to provide summer employment opportunities to more than 12,000 youth throughout the region.