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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE ELIMINATION OF UNNECESSARY DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FROM COUNTY EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES
WHEREAS, the Cook County Board of Commissioners is committed to promoting equitable access to employment opportunities across all departments, offices, and agencies under its jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, many Cook County job classifications currently include degree requirements that are not mandated by law nor essential to the performance of job duties; and
WHEREAS, the County recognizes that valuable skills and qualifications come in many forms, including direct experience, military service, apprenticeships, vocational training, certifications, and demonstrated ability-not just degrees; and
WHEREAS, removing non-essential degree requirements is a critical step toward eliminating barriers to employment, expanding opportunity, and ensuring all applicants are judged based on their capabilities and potential; and
WHEREAS, a skills-based approach to hiring better reflects the diverse talents of Cook County’s workforce and helps ensure equitable and inclusive hiring practices; and
WHEREAS, Cook County aims to lead by example in embracing fair and inclusive hiring practices across all of its departments, offices, and agencies; and
WHEREAS, based on federally reported data the Cook County Workforce Utilization Analysis chart reflects the broader population of the county community, historically, experience has not served as a barrier to county job seekers; and
WHEREAS, Cook County Offices Under the President only requires degrees where required by law or recognized as industry standards; and
WHEREAS, this resolution’s purpose is to memorialize the work that the Cook County Offices Under the President is currently doing in order to present the County as an employer of choice and encourage the other County Agencies to adopt similar practices; and
WHEREAS, to show Cook County as a county of choice, the Board of Commissioners are requesting all Agencies in Cook County to follow similar steps in order to make Cook County a choice employer.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF COOK, ILLINOIS, that all offices and departments under the jurisdiction of the County Board President, the Board of Commissioners, Cook County Health and Hospitals System (“CCH”), Cook County State’s Attorney, Cook County Sheriff, Cook County Public Defender, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Cook County Treasurer, Cook County Clerk, Cook County Assessor, Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Board of Review, the Office of the Independent Inspector General, the Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook County, the Cook County Land Bank Authority and the Public Administrator (hereinafter, “County Agencies” or “County Agency”) shall engage in efforts to eliminate unnecessary educational barriers to employment within Cook County government by removing degree requirements from job descriptions and employment processes where such credentials are not legally required, essential to job performance or necessary based upon industry standards; and
FUTHER BE IT RESOLVED that County Agencies that have not already reviewed their job descriptions, shall engage in work over the next six months to eliminate unnecessary educational barriers to employment within Cook County government by removing degree requirements from job descriptions and employment processes where such credentials are not legally required, essential to job performance or necessary based upon industry standards; and
FUTHER BE IT RESOLVED, where a degree is no longer required, the job descriptions should be revised to reflect alternative qualifications, including but not limited to: relevant work experience, vocational or technical training, military service, apprenticeships, industry-recognized certifications, demonstrated competencies or skill assessments; and
FUTHER BE IT RESOLVED, County Agencies shall provide a status report to the Cook County Board of Commissioners on or before March 1, 2026, regarding their compliance with this Resolution.
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