GPEDC | About Workforce Solutions

- Greater Peoria -
Regional Workforce Solutions

About This Site

The purpose of this site is to provide a one-stop solution for stakeholders to find and access the information they need and to learn what organizations may have solutions for their specific challenges - while being inclusive of all partner organizations that impact the workforce in Greater Peoria, for education, students, teachers, training organizations, and employers; as well as being a source of information for prospective businesses to see the health of our regional workforce ecosystem.

Supported through active partnerships in the Regional Workforce Alliance, we work tirelessly to facilitate meetings that bring appropriate stakeholders to the table to continue to make great things happen for the workforce of Greater Peoria. This site is currently managed by the Executive Director of the Regional Workforce Alliance.

This directory is a product of many stakeholders across multiple agencies and organizations coming together to create as robust of an index as possible to highlight any and all organizations and partners that support the development and advancement of the region's workforce as we work together to build a more robust, resilient, and capable workforce.

How We Serve Greater Peoria

At the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, the office of Workforce Solutions leads the efforts to develop a more resilient, robust, and equitable talent pipeline in Greater Peoria by troubleshooting systemic gaps and challenges to connect regional organizations to appropriate, necessary resources. In considering a region for doing business, the top concern of prospective business owners is the quantity and quality of the workforce. Our team aims to develop and retain a skilled workforce by employing strategies along the career-development continuum - ranging from elementary school past retirement - in order to ensure that our workforce continues to have the capabilities and capacity to meet evolving business needs. The regional scope of this work builds collective capacity and competency across organizations and serves the local business community in meeting their most pressing workforce needs.

This hub is a one stop resource to learn more about the services that we provide at the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council as well as information on relevant partners in the workforce ecosystem, the programming they offer, and how to connect with those partners directly. In addition, we provide a blog with tons of information and insights about Greater Peoria, including workforce programs, quality of life, and exciting news for our region. We welcome you to discover how our team is dedicated to making a difference in our communities and to supporting individuals in their career journeys.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

Our Mission:

Empower individuals to achieve greater economic prosperity by providing access to a wide range of workforce services and by ensuring that those services are accessible, equitable, and beneficial to individuals in Greater Peoria.

Our Vision:

We envision a Greater Peoria where every individual understands the pathways and resources needed to gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work they love to do - while aligning that talent to the evolving needs of employers to foster continuous growth and competitiveness to drive a positive economic impact on the entire Greater Peoria region.

Our Values:

Innovation: Pushing past the status quo with bold, progressive ideas. Stay curious and challenge deeply engrained assumptions and traditional methods.
Honesty: Always be upfront and forthcoming with information, insights, and processes, and build lasting relationships built on trust.
Respect: Go beyond simple politeness; treat all individuals from all backgrounds and experiences with dignity and worth.
Passion: Share a contagious enthusiasm for shared goals and tasks to find purpose in the work and to persevere when faced with inevitable challenges and obstacles.
Teamwork: The work is ample and ambiguous - working cohesively and collaboratively with internal team members and external stakeholders alike towards something bigger.
Compassion: Actively seek to understand and empathize with the experiences and challenges of others, without judgment or assumptions.
Courage: Standing up for principles and values despite personal fears or risks of negative outcomes - make a stand against discrimination, biases, and unfair practices that harm others.
Community: Strive for more than individual connections - act to bring people together through common interests, objectives, experiences, and causes to build a sense of belonging, connection, and shared purpose.