XChange Chicago, a $20 million tech workforce training hub in Greater Grand Crossing will be opening in January with SDI Presence, an IT consultancy and managed services provider in the Loop, as its anchor tenant.
Xchange plans to create 100 jobs in its first year and more than 300 jobs within five years, the company said last month.
The 28,000-square-foot training hub at 7247 S. South Chicago Ave. was formed by the Comer Science and Education Foundation, tech nonprofit P33 and SDI Presence.
“SDI Presence is a hometown Chicago company, serving Chicagoland for over 28 years,” Hardik Bhatt, CEO of SDI Presence, said in a statement. “Internships and apprenticeships have been a part of our business model since our inception. With Xchange we have now made it extremely scalable for the Chicagoland corporate, philanthropic and government sectors.”
SDI Presence’s announcement comes a year after California-based Bitwise Industries, a tech training company, collapsed and ended its plan to move into Xchange.
Bitwise abruptly suspended operations in May 2023 and laid off 900 workers, including five in Illinois. It filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy the following month and liquidated the company after its board discovered major financial problems.
In spite of Bitwise’s demise, Xchange is forging ahead. At the training hub’s news conference last month, Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “SDI Presence’s move to anchor at Xchange Chicago is a game-changer for our city, showcasing our dedication to innovation and inclusive growth.”
“This cutting-edge IT delivery center in the Grand Crossing community is set to be a catalyst for technological advancement, providing dynamic career pathways and revitalizing economic opportunities for the South Side,” Johnson said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson at Xchange Chicago’s press conference.
P33 staff was also in attendance, along with 5th Ward Ald. Desmon Yancy and Philip Clement, World Business Chicago president.
“Like Discover’s Chatham Customer Care Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Blue Door Neighborhood Centers, Xchange Chicago is another way to focus on neighborhood revitalization on Chicago’s South and West sides,” David Gupta, SDI co-founder and executive chairman, said. “But in this case, it offers the city’s entire corporate community a new way to contribute to job creation while fulfilling their critical IT needs here, instead of offshore.”
Xchange also announced a partnership with Peoples Gas that would bring 20 SDI Presence apprentices to the utility provider for additional training over the next two years. The roles offer the potential for full-time jobs with Peoples Gas. Apprentices who do not move into full-time roles will continue employment with SDI.
“We’re excited to partner with Xchange Chicago to meet our IT needs while offering good-paying tech jobs to people who live on the city’s South Side,” Peoples Gas Vice President Polly Eldringhoff said.
Earlier this summer, Xchange also launched an internship program in partnership with SDI Presence, United Way and youth programs One Summer Chicago and Everyone Can Code Chicago. The program teaches tech and professional skills to South Side youth and young adults.
