Block Club Chicago announced on Apr. 20 that it will host a workforce development and career fair on June 27 in the Austin neighborhood. The event, called “Together We Build: West Side Workforce Development and Career Fair,” will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at BUILD Chicago’s campus at 5100 W. Harrison St., and is free and open to the public with registration requested.
The fair aims to strengthen pathways to employment and expand access to opportunity for residents of Chicago’s West Side, an area that has faced decades of disinvestment and systemic barriers. Block Club said the event is designed for job seekers interested in resume reviews, learning about trades or other careers, or practicing interview skills.
Activities during the day-long event will include a panel discussion led by Block Club’s West Side reporter Michael Liptrot about the future of work in the area, one-on-one resume review sessions, mock interviews, speed networking opportunities with local businesses and employers, financial coaching resources focused on budgeting and long-term stability, access to professional attire through a clothing closet, and free headshots for participants preparing applications or online profiles.
Community partners such as Revolution Workshop, Sarah’s Inn, Cook County Health, among others will be present at the fair. Organizations interested in participating are encouraged to apply due to limited space availability.
A new resource highlighted at this year’s event is Job Ready Illinois—a tool launched by a collaboration between the state of Illinois, workforce foundations, and Cook County—to help residents meet updated SNAP work requirements following recent federal changes affecting benefit recipients this spring.
This marks Block Club’s second major community engagement event of 2026; earlier this year it hosted an immigration-focused gathering in Little Village. The organization credits support from the Pritzker Pucker Family Foundation for making these events possible.
