Nearby and North-East of Midway airport, there is a corridor of opportunity where networking organizations like the Chicago Learning Exchange should be monetarily supported by the city of Chicago to work with the Advanced Manufacturing sector and City Colleges of Chicago to develop intentional training, apprenticeship, and employment pathways for Latinx youth.

This area is proposed based on the geospatial research linked below, which demonstrates both a significant decline in manufacturing employment among the residents and as well shows a significant density of Hispanic population.

Program Sketch: Justification for Advanced Manufacturing Training for Latinx Youth in Chicago

In other words — there’s a large Latinx population in this area who are losing jobs in manufacturing. While further research can be done to project how stable this population’s employment will be, it remains fact that the city of Chicago is responsible for ensuring a bright economic future for our youth.

Providing them with knowledge, tools, and experience to capture and ride the new waves of technology in manufacturing is one way to secure a healthy future for this population and for the city’s broader economy.

It is evident to me, with the rapid evolution of technology, that the reality of manufacturing, like every other sector, will be changing significantly over the coming decades. It is more than necessary for our city to maintain relevance, let alone to lead, in this emerging future. This program is just one component of a systems approach to resilience in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.