Talent Alignment Strategy

We do. McLean County has strong employers, three respected higher education institutions, and many workforce programs. The research found that our challenge isn’t a lack of resources. It’s a lack of alignment. Programs are often fragmented, not well connected, or not big enough to make a broad impact. The strategy brings these efforts together into one coordinated system.

Employers struggle to fill specialized, technical, mid-skill, and entry-level roles. In Chamber surveys, the lack of soft skills and professionalism was an even bigger concern than technical ability.

Soft skills aren’t a separate program. They’re built into the whole system. Partners will agree on a shared, testable definition of “work-ready” and add work-readiness standards and assessments at key points in education and training. Work-based learning and contact with employers will reinforce those skills.

Goal 1 works at the system level, building shared data, common skills definitions, and stackable credentials across all sectors. Goal 2 works at the program level, building a fully mapped career pathway in one or more priority industries. That pathway serves as a proof of concept that can be expanded later.

That decision hasn’t been made yet. Partners will first take stock of the career pathway programs that already exist. They will then choose an initial sector based on factors such as how many people it employs today, future demand, wages, existing degree programs, and employer partnerships. The plan recommends starting focused, possibly with a pilot, because many pathway efforts fail when they take on too many sectors at once.

The plan’s tactics include:

• Tracking where high school and college graduates go after they finish.
• Connecting students more closely with community life, for example through student nights and seats for students on local boards.
• Encouraging employers to invest in mentorship and employee engagement.
• Making the most of Bloomington-Normal Young Professionals and Leadership McLean County, including possible Community Impact Projects.

Yes, but the effort will be targeted. The plan proposes:

• A shared brand and a talent website for Bloomington-Normal.
• Recruitment materials for employers.
• Coordinated visits for job candidates.
• Support for trailing spouses and families.

The plan recommends that more costly attraction campaigns wait until there is progress on housing and child care.

These issues now directly limit who can work. A December 2025 study found that McLean County has the second-highest child care costs in Illinois. Local rents have risen sharply while the number of building permits has stayed flat. Transportation access also remains a barrier. The strategy supports existing plans:

• Child care: the Building McLean County’s Future report.
• Housing: the March 2024 Regional Housing Recovery Plan.
• Transportation: the 2050 Long-Range Transportation Plan.

Will the Chamber and its partners run child care, housing, or transit programs?

No. Workforce partners will advocate for solutions and help connect employers to them, but they won’t own or carry out those plans. One example is helping employers use child care benefits, such as a Tri-Share model in which the employer, the employee, and the state each pay part of the cost. Another is helping employers explore shuttles or vanpools.