Generation Awarded Grant in MIT Reimagining Pathways to Employment in US Challenge

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Solve, a marketplace for social impact innovation, today announced Generation USA, a global workforce development nonprofit, as a winner of its 2021 Reimagining Pathways to Employment in the US Challenge and recipient of $125,000 in funding to launch pilot programs across the country in collaboration with US Workforce Boards. The initiative combats racial and gender injustices in the US that continue to hinder the education, employment, and earning potential of historically marginalized communities. 

MIT Solve—in partnership with the Morgridge Family Foundation, New Profit, and others—created the Reimagining Pathways to Employment in the US Challenge to combat racial and gender inequality. The Challenge is an opportunity to identify, support, and scale promising solutions that accelerate pathways to current and future employment—especially for underserved communities.

These grants fund the development of validation pilots with innovative US Workforce Boards for the benefit of an anticipated 1 million displaced workers. This funding allows solutions to be offered at no cost to participating workers. MIT Solve will support the development and implementation of these partnerships. In addition to funding, winning teams receive IBM Cloud Credits and virtual coaching with IBM experts.

Generation USA, in partnership with community colleges and employer partners, transforms the education to employment systems to prepare, place, and support people into life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible. The nonprofit's reskilling program is delivered at no-cost and designed for workers who are unemployed, underemployed, facing job displacement due to automation, or displaced by the pandemic, with a focus on vulnerable populations and those facing systemic challenges, giving priority to Black and Latinx applicants, women and those who do not have a four-year degree. 

"Generation is only about six years old. Globally, our organization has trained more than 40,000 people, and by 2030 in the U.S., we're working to train and place 500,000," said Sean Segal, CEO of Generation USA. "Work is at the heart of all we are in America. It's where we spend the majority of our time. It affects our health, our sense of self, our families, our way of life, and the generational impact we'll have. So for us, getting connected to organizations like MIT Solve, workforce boards, and IBM is an incredible honor and opportunity for us to expand our footprint to make a dent in the unemployment problem plaguing so many communities in our country."

The MIT Solve challenge asked the question: "How can workers in the United States attain the knowledge and learn the skills needed to access sustainable jobs and livelihoods in the new economy?" Generation USA and its education model is the solution to this challenge and will launch reskilling pilot programs to:

• Increase access to high-quality, no-cost learning, skill-building, and training opportunities for those entering the workforce, transitioning between jobs, or facing unemployment.
• Enable learners to make informed decisions about which pathways and jobs best suit them, including promoting the benefits of non-degree pathways to employment.
• Implement competency-based models for life-long learning, support, and credentialing.
• Match current and future employer and industry needs with education providers, workforce development programs, and diverse job seekers.
• Drive resources and support to Black, Indigenous, and Latinx entrepreneurs and innovators, who receive a fraction of funding in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, despite their frequent proximity to workforce challenges and the systems-focused solutions needed to solve them.

To learn more about Generation, visit: usa.generation.org.

About Generation

Generation is a nonprofit that transforms education to employment systems to prepare, place, and support people into life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible. The global pandemic has led to an unprecedented surge in unemployment. Even before the pandemic, more than 75 million young adults were out of work globally, and three times as many were underemployed—and 375 million workers of all ages needed to learn new skills by 2030. At the same time, certain jobs remain in high-demand, and 40 percent of employers say a skills shortage leaves them with entry-level vacancies. To date, more than 38,000 people have graduated from Generation programs, which prepare them for meaningful careers in 14 countries. Generation works with more than 3,900 employer partners and many implementation partners and funders. For more, visit usa.generation.org.

About Solve

Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a mission to solve world challenges. Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation. Through open innovation Challenges, Solve finds incredible tech-based social entrepreneurs all around the world. Solve then brings together MIT's innovation ecosystem and a community of Members to fund and support these entrepreneurs to help them drive lasting, transformational impact. Join Solve on this journey at solve.mit.edu.

Generation USA Media Contact:
Amy Kauffman
[email protected]

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