May 12, 2012

Mayor Emanuel Announces a New Program to Encourage Private Sector Hiring of City Colleges Graduates

Allscripts Will Create 40 Additional Jobs for City Colleges Graduates; Company Will Add Entry-Level Positions in Critical Health IT Field in Conjunction With City Colleges’ College to Careers Program

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

CHICAGO - Mayor Emanuel today announced that Allscripts will add 40 more jobs to its Chicago office at the Merchandise Mart, as part of a new program announced by the Mayor to help City Colleges graduates find immediate, consistent employment.  The jobs will be created in conjunction with the City Colleges ambitious College to Careers program, and will help students in Health IT enter the workforce in these critical roles.

“I am focused on helping City Colleges train the workers who will carry Chicago’s economy to future successes,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This program will help us create jobs that are available immediately for graduates of the City Colleges.”

Allscripts has committed to train 40 new graduates from the City Colleges of Chicago and equip them to achieve their Health Information Technology (HIT) certification. At the same time, Allscripts will transition the employees to full-time employment – working in roles within the company’s services, support, and development organizations.  The entry-level positions will allow students to transition directly into the workforce at the end of their studies. The City of Chicago has agreed to pay the salaries of the 40 employees for the first six months of their tenure using TIF surplus resources; after that Allscripts will take over their salaries. According to Allscripts officials, after the first year or two in the job, many of these employees will be making $50,000 to $80,000 per year.

“These are exactly the sort of jobs we are looking to create for Chicagoans,” said Mayor Emanuel. “These positions are on the front line of the growing field of Healthcare IT, and I am pleased that we can train Chicagoans and help them get these jobs of tomorrow.”

“I am very happy that we can continue to invest in the city of Chicago, advance the public-private partnership between our company and the City, and support the Mayor in the College to Careers program,” said Allscripts Chief Executive Officer Glen Tullman.  “There’s no issue more pressing than getting Americans back to work and Allscripts is proud to do its part by creating meaningful, high-tech jobs in our local community, and fostering opportunity for Chicagoans to enter the growing and critical field of Healthcare IT.”

Mayor Emanuel made the announcement as part of his commencement address at the City Colleges of Chicago graduation ceremony.. This year, City Colleges granted nearly 3,300 associates degrees, up 800 from 2011 and double the number from ten years ago.

Allscripts is the leading global provider of Electronic Health Records, Connectivity and Information systems to hospitals and physicians. Previously, the company announced that it will be adding approximately 300 new jobs in the City of Chicago by the end of 2012. In addition, beginning in 2012, the company will hold its annual users conference at McCormick Place through 2014. The jobs being announced today are in addition to the previous announcement.

Allscripts is one of Chicago’s fastest growing companies, having been named to the Crain’s Chicago Business Fast Fifty list for the last five years.

Nearly 25 companies have made commitments to add jobs in Chicago since Mayor Emanuel took office, totaling more than 15,000 jobs.

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Read the Mayor's remarks as prepared (PDF)