A committee of the Regional Workforce Alliance

Multiple Barriers

When something is in the way.

The Multiple Barriers Committee focuses on people facing obstacles to employment and education success — among them lack of transportation, housing instability, legal challenges, and limited education.

The committee builds cross-sector partnerships among employers, educators, community organizations, and government agencies. It is a collaborative, data-informed effort to transform lives through opportunity.

Progress is tracked across three groups: people securing basic income and benefits, people obtaining entry-level positions with coaching, and people advancing into career pathways in the trades, healthcare, IT, solar, and manufacturing.

Co-chairs

  • Dr. Arnitria Shaw

    Multiple Barriers Co-Chair

    Dr. Arnitria Shaw

    Vice President of Workforce and Diversity, Illinois Central College

  • Felisa Durr

    Multiple Barriers Co-Chair

    Felisa Durr

    Vice President of Workforce Development, Tri-County Urban League

What we keep an eye on

  • Structural barriers to employment
  • Gaps in support services
  • Equity in access to training
  • Second-chance hiring policies and reentry pathways
  • Supportive services for individuals with disabilities
  • Employer education on hiring neurodivergent individuals
  • Service coordination and outcomes tracking

Current initiatives

  • Barrier Mapping Project Documenting where people fall out of the pipeline, and why.
  • Transportation Solutions Pilot Testing ways to get people to work and training in a region where transit does not reach every shift.
  • Employer Toolkit for Inclusive Hiring Practical guidance for employers widening who they can hire.
  • Reentry Project Connecting people leaving the justice system to training and second-chance employers.

The other committees

Nobody reaches 60% alone.

Employers, educators, and community partners are already at the table. Join them.

Get involved