Executive Summary
In the U.S., the workforce system is fragmented and unresponsive to employer needs, with six million unemployed job seekers and about nine million job openings. Systemic racism and outdated hiring practices have caused employers to overlook qualified talent, particularly people of color and individuals who come from systemically disinvested communities.
Skills for America’s Future (Skills) bridges this gap by connecting job seekers with employers through a technology-driven approach that focuses on individuals’ skills to qualify them for open roles within our network of committed employer partners. Skills also works directly with community-based organizations to serve historically underserved communities and provide holistic support for job seekers at every stage of their journey.
Beyond direct placements, Skills drives practice change within employers to remove barriers for job seekers. By doing this, Skills creates a more inclusive workforce that supports all job seekers, including those with criminal backgrounds, people who need work accommodations, or people who do not meet arbitrary employment and experience requirements.
Skills’ efforts to expand nationally have led to affiliate sites in Chicago, Rhode Island, and Phoenix. By 2030, Skills will operate in 30 locations, place 14,000 individuals into jobs annually, and connect job seekers with over $1.2 billion in annual wages. By partnering with 25 percent of Fortune 500 companies, Skills seeks to influence change in outdated hiring practices and help individuals achieve their full career potential.
Lead Organization
Skills for Chicagoland's Future
website: http://www.skillsforchicagolandsfuture.orgCharity, fund, non-governmental organization, religious institution, school, or other entity
Organizations may provide budget and employee data based on this proposal or the organization as a whole. For more information on this proposal or organization, please email us.
Accomplishments
In the past year, Skills has seen enormous growth in its National Expansion efforts. Skills signed a letter of intent with a new partner to further experiment and launch a third expansion site in 2022. In November of 2021, the organization launched a Request for Partnership (RFP) to build a site pipeline of new potential partners nationally, garnering responses across the United States.
Additionally, Skills has begun to develop training curriculum and delivery modules for sites and will build and launch a comprehensive digital training platform in 2022 to maximize its ability, speed, and impact of remote training.
