CCBC Construction Resource Fair: Building Connections Beyond the Jobsite

Jobseekers make new connections at the Construction Resource Fair

The Chicago Community Builders Collective (CCBC) brought together workers, contractors, developers, unions, and community organizations for its September 2026 Construction Resource Fair. The goal was simple: help Chicago’s construction workforce and small businesses build connections, explore new opportunities, and continue growing within the industry. 

For CCBC, creating opportunities extends beyond the work happening at Bally’s Chicago Casino. The free event was designed to help workers and contractors build on their experience, expand their networks, and connect with new career and business opportunities across Chicago.

“At CCBC, we see a different way forward,” said Project Executive Miguel d’Escoto. “We’re building bridges with large, upcoming projects in the city so that we can create a ‘hand off’ of people and firms to the next project. Then their success on Bally’s can become a pathway to their next job or contract.”

More than 40 partners participated, including Bally’s, the Cook County Land Bank Authority, the Illinois Tollway, the Illinois Capital Development Board, several nonprofit business development organizations and six labor unions. The fair also welcomed 60 union jobseekers looking to connect with employers and explore upcoming opportunities.

One jobseeker named Matt attended the fair with his buddy, Jaden, and both left with new opportunities. 

“My experience has been fantastic,” Matt said. “There are a lot of people around, contractors, pipe fitters, and ironworkers. It is a very big network . . . building a better workforce.”

Setting a New Standard for Construction Projects

For d’Escoto, the fair represents a model he believes should become standard practice across Chicago’s major construction projects. Rather than leaving workers and small contractors to navigate their next steps independently, project teams can play an active role in connecting them with future opportunities.

“Growth built on one project should translate into capacity and opportunity for future work,” he said. “This should be a new standard for construction projects in Chicago, one that ensures experienced workers and emerging firms can continue to advance in the industry rather than starting from scratch every time.”

Linda Cherry, Vice President of Compliance, Risk and Community, GMA Construction

d’Escoto emphasized that workers typically follow one of two paths when moving to new job sites: those who are retained by their current employer to work on upcoming projects, and those who are not and are now seeking new opportunities.

“We want to stress to companies that these skilled workers are available in the union halls right now for your next project,” d’Escoto said. 

That approach stood out to Linda Cherry, Vice President of Compliance, Risk and Community at GMA Construction, who attended the fair.

“Usually when a job wraps up, it’s up to you,” Cherry said. “So, for the project team and the general contractor to take that level of initiative to see that there is some continuity for workers — that really struck me.”

Cherry arrived prepared for her presentation without a booth of her own but left with new connections and support for a small business development program she had been working to establish.

Through conversations with financial institutions, workforce organizations, and community partners, Cherry identified opportunities to expand the program’s reach and connect with additional organizations across Chicago. Among those connections were JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, HIRE360, and the Chicago Urban League.

“The event was large enough to include a really varied swath of organizations and types, but small enough that people could come together and collaborate on things bigger than what any one participant or one table could do on their own,” Cherry said. 

Her experience reflects the broader purpose of the fair: bringing together organizations that can share resources, strengthen partnerships, and create opportunities beyond any single project.

Creating Multiple Pathways to Opportunity

The fair also recognized that there is no single path into the construction industry. Through connections with labor unions, contractors, public agencies, and developers, attendees could explore opportunities suited to their experience and professional goals.

“Everyone connects to the industry at different levels and different times,” d’Escoto said. “Fairs like this must accommodate career changers, new entrants, emerging contractors, and seasoned professionals alike.”

Among the participating contractors were Pepper Construction, GMA Construction, and All Construction Group, the joint venture partners behind McDonald’s Park, the new $750 million, 22,000-seat soccer stadium and concert venue being developed in Chicago’s South Loop by Chicago Fire FC and owner Joe Mansueto.

Representatives connected directly with jobseekers and contractors about opportunities associated with the stadium and other projects across the city. Resumes were collected for both immediate openings and future positions, helping establish connections that could extend well beyond the event.

Cherry personally collected approximately a dozen resumes and shared information about GMA’s work on McDonald’s Park, the United Center and other projects.

“Having a project like McDonald’s Park was really helpful in getting people excited,” she said. “I walked away with 10–12 resumes that are now feeding into another program I’m developing that has branched out across all of GMA’s projects.”

For Cherry, who previously worked for a general contractor with operations in 19 states, the fair also offered a new perspective on how project teams can support their workforce beyond the completion of a job.

“I have never seen anything quite like this before. For someone to care about what is happening to the workers coming off a large project like this — this was a level of consideration and compassion for the workforce that was new for me.”

Building on the Momentum

The connections made at the Resource Fair demonstrated the value of bringing Chicago’s construction industry together around a shared goal. Beyond introducing jobseekers to employers, the fair helped spark new partnerships, strengthen business development initiatives, and connect experienced workers with opportunities on current and upcoming projects.

CCBC is now looking to build on that momentum with another Construction Resource Fair targeted for early 2027, continuing to connect Chicago’s workers and small businesses with employers, unions, and upcoming construction opportunities.

d’Escoto hopes the approach will become a routine part of how major developments operate across the city so that people and companies don’t just find a job but build a career and a business pipeline.

He said, “Take these great workers and companies and continue success with them.” 

For CCBC, that's the lasting impact of collaboration: helping the skills, relationships, and opportunities developed through major construction projects to continue opening doors for Chicago's workers, businesses, and communities.