Significant restructuring of the region’s economy over the past twenty years has transformed the demand for skills, making it more difficult for low-skilled workers to find employment in more knowledge-based, innovation-driven, growing sectors. Despite the higher-than-average levels of educational attainment in the region, chronic low graduation rates from the region’s public post-secondary educational institutions, particularly community colleges, slows the upgrading of the region’s workforce. Further, the increase in specialisation towards higher value-added activities in the Chicago Tri-State metro-region has not gone hand in hand with an increase of the share of the labour force with high qualifications.