Opportunity@Work

We're delighted to announce that Opportunity@Work has received a grant of $20 million from Yield Giving, the groundbreaking philanthropy founded by MacKenzie Scott. This investment will accelerate our efforts to drive?$20 billion?in wage gains for workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs). #HireSTARs #TearThePaperCeiling #Grant #workforcedevelopment Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eN9brmaR

We’re thrilled to announce that Grads of Life has released our 10-year anniversary report, Ten Years of Pioneering Progress in the Skills-First Movement. This report is an exciting account of Grads of Life’s progress toward our vision of an America where every person has access to economic opportunity and mobility. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gydkBPBh The report details how we’ve tackled the challenge of changing employers’ perceptions of who counts as talent – and then changing employer talent practices at scale. It also looks ahead to the next ten years, including a sneak peek at our new platform to help spur skills-first conversations, Skills Speak Although there’s still a tremendous amount of work to do, we’re invigorated by the momentum of the skills-first movement and energized by the strong network of partners helping to lead this vital work. Grads of Life has come a long way since our founding as the systems change arm of Year Up United in 2014! Any reflections or memories come to mind? Let us know in the comments! #GradsofLife #SkillsFirst #10Years #AnniversaryReport

The bold new documentary, UNTAPPED: Closing America’s Opportunity Gap, featuring our CEO Byron Auguste, examines why business leaders must #TearThePaperCeiling and embrace STARs (workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree) as valuable to our nation's workforce. Tear The Paper Celing partner Workday recently discussed the upcoming documentary with Carrie Varoquiers, one of the film’s executive producers, to learn more about Workday’s role in the making of the film and how companies benefit from a skills-based hiring strategy: Read the full blog below! https://lnkd.in/eiwXuyM8 #HireSTARs #Career #wkdev #employment #nowhiring

What happens when companies rally to #TearThePaperCeiling? Find out in UNTAPPED: Closing America’s Opportunity Gap, debuting on Netflix on October 16th! UNTAPPED shines a bold light on the STARs (workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes rather than a bachelor's degree), the opportunity gap in America and the imperative for skills-based hiring – an alternative recruitment method that looks at a person’s full range of skills and capabilities, vs. traditional methods that focus on past experiences and background – all set against the tapestry of deeply moving and powerful human stories. Our CEO Byron Auguste will be featured alongside industry leaders like entrepreneur Mark Cuban, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, Workday Co-Founder and Executive Chair Aneel Bhusri, Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach, Year Up United Founder Gerald Chertavian, and more. UNTAPPED was developed and executive produced by #TearThePaperCeiling champion partner Workday in partnership with Executive Producers Lebron James and Maverick Carter with The SpringHill Company, and was directed by award-winning filmmaker Josh Kahn. Add to your Netflix watchlist now! https://lnkd.in/eEVPhUht *You have to be signed in for the link to work, or search on Netflix for “UNTAPPED”. #UNTAPPEDFilm

We’re so delighted to see STARs (individuals Skilled Through Alternative Routes rather than a college degree) highlighted at #IndeedFutureWorks to 800+ HR/TA leaders in person and 6K+ online! Last week, Indeed’s Chief People and Sustainability Officer, LaFawn Davis took the main stage at #IndeedFutureWorks to introduce STARs and #tearthepaperceiling, inspire us all with her own STAR story, and share Indeed’s goal to help 30 million people facing barriers to employment land a job by 2030, before sitting down with Trevor Noah (also a STAR) to discuss skills-first hiring and politics at work. This event was also the latest stop for our #TearThePaperCeiling art installation, a stunning physical manifestation of the paper ceiling. Fashioned from some 30,000 pieces of paper, including real resumes of STARs, it brings to life the barriers millions of STARs face, despite having the skills for higher-wage work. STARs represent 70+ million workers in the US (50% of the US workforce) and have developed valuable skills through community college, certificate programs, military service, or, most commonly, on-the-job experience. They include 62% of Black workers, 54% of Hispanic workers, 61% of veterans, and 66% of rural workers. Read and watch the conversation on Indeed's blog here: https://lnkd.in/gBeenZhz #HireSTARs

I’ll never forget STARs hitting the main stage at #IndeedFutureWorks with LaFawn Davis & Trevor Noah??? ????? Knowing that over 850 HR/TA leaders in person and over 6500 unique viewers around the world learned about STARs... and that 100s also viewed the #TearThePaperCeiling Art Installation... is still something that has me in awe. Even more so, hearing that many companies have already removed degree requirements… that many are actively embracing #SkillsFirstHiring and seeking out for more data, tools, and consulting to help implement it… and that a substantial number of leaders in the HR/TA field are in fact STARs themselves… was beyond validating. ?? I personally fought through the shame of not finishing my degree for almost 20 years before I first learned about the term STARs. It was the first time that I had ever heard of positive identified for people who are undeniably skilled, but who had just not completed a bachelors degree. To say that the term STAR changed my life would easily be an understatement. Thanks again to Will Villota for creating the term, and thanks again to Yscaira J. for LaborX, joining O@W, and posting about STARs online. ?? Thanks out to Chris Hyams, LaFawn Davis, Jessica Jensen, Abigail Carlton, Parisa Fatehi-Weeks, Aidan McLaughlin, Elisabeth Voigt, Eavan Fallon, Jonathan J. Gonzalez, Daniel Coleman, MBA, Jared Rogers, Jessica Wolfson, Alberto Aroeste, David Lewis, J. Dylan Riches, Andy Paar, Oksana Cline, Donna Bungard, CPWA and so many more at Indeed who have chosen to champion Skill First Hiring and acknowledge that STARs represent the largest talent pool that will be helped by the long overdue shift. ?? Thank you as well to all those who stopped by the TTPC Art Installation including Amy (Johnson) Hunter PhD, Whitney Plummer, Katie Jacobs, SHRM-SCP, L Gillespie, Miraida Vazquez, Omar Villalba, Tanya Smith, Raegan Helm, Jessica D., Amanda Egan, Lucy Rodrigues, Rachel Gardinier, Tenaya McDaniel, MBA, Ryan Marvel, Janeane Tolomeo, Rick Pitts, Emery Carlson, Khalilah Woods, SPHR, and so many more! ?? Sincerest thanks to the Board, STARs Advisory Council, Executive Leadership Team, all partners and current colleagues, and all who’ve ever worked with Opportunity@Work — the FutureWorks moments would not have happened if not for all that was done beforehand. And last, but certainly not least, thank you to Rolanda Wilson, MHR for supporting our activation by swiftly developing expertise in our work (w/o any prompt or expectation from us) and then consistently serving as a genuine, warm, and knowledgeable ambassador (above and beyond what was required).?If anyone is hiring in Tech/HR, I highly recommend checking out her profile! To watch the LaFawn Davis and Trevor Noah conversation, check out this link: https://lnkd.in/e7v2VMcq To learn more about the Tear The Paper Ceiling campaign and coalition, check out https://lnkd.in/e6rxJmG5 #TearThePaperCeiling #OneofMillions #HireSTARs #Indeed

A new AI tool from our partners at CareerVillage.org, which aims to make career information more accessible and equitable, is meant to accompany job seekers at any of these stages in their careers. The tool, called Coach, is free to use for anyone, from K-12 students to those in middle age and beyond who are looking to upskill or change careers. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ej89kZ2Q #Hiring #Career #wkdev

It was energizing to see the conversation on STARs and skills-based hiring take place at this year’s Workday Rising in front of hundreds of executives. As I share in the upcoming documentary, UNTAPPED - produced by Workday - I hear all the time “I know what I can do, but no one will give me a chance. But why does it have to be that way?” There are 70+ million STARs - workers skilled through alternative routes - who have skills, but because they do not have bachelor’s degrees they’re being excluded from the majority of new jobs. I’m glad to see leaders like Carrie Varoquiers Chief Philanthropy Officer, Workday commit their energy and platforms towards this message to #TearthePaperCeiling and for moderating a panel to exchange ideas on how to accelerate the skills-first talent movement with fellow Opportunity@Work Tear the Ceiling partners Ashley Goldsmith, Chief People Officer, Workday; Lorraine "Lo" Stomski ", Chief Talent Officer, Walmart; and Chassidy Tabios Senior Program Manager, Workday, and Year Up Program Graduate. Watch the documentary trailer here: https://lnkd.in/enThiEdZ #WDAYRising #WorkdayRising #HireSTARs

Indeed’s Chief People and Sustainability Officer LaFawn Davis and comedian Trevor Noah led the keynote session at #IndeedFutureWorks where they discussed equity in hiring, finding levity in times of uncertainty, and how better work leads to better lives. Learn more about their unique insights at: https://lnkd.in/gBeenZhz

Leaving with more knowledge than we came with. If you tuned in to #IndeedFutureWorks yesterday, let us know in the comments what stood out to you the most.