Rework America Alliance Launches Local Partnerships to Help Connect Job Seekers to Good Jobs

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May 06, 2021, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, May 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Markle Foundation's Rework America Alliance, a unique coalition of civil rights groups, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor unions and educators, today announced the first regions in which it will partner with local community-based organizations to deploy resources to help job seekers connect to good jobs.

The Alliance is opening opportunities for millions of unemployed and low wage workers to move into good jobs, particularly for people of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the current economic crisis, and those who have built capabilities through experience but do not have a bachelor's degree.

The initial regions and organizations that will lead efforts locally are:

Atlanta, Georgia - Goodwill of North Georgia
Austin, Texas - Austin Area Urban League
Denver, Colorado - Mi Casa Resource Center, a UnidosUS affiliate
Finger Lakes region, New York - PathStone, in partnership with Rural LISC
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota - Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota and Urban League Twin Cities
Indiana and Colorado - Markle will expand its relationships with the states of Colorado and Indiana by providing the full suite of Alliance capabilities and partners, building on previous successful collaborations in both states through its Skillful initiatives.

In these regions, the Alliance will work closely with community-based organizations that serve workers so they can help job seekers: identify the good jobs that are in-demand, transfer the skills they already have to new jobs and find effective, affordable training, if needed, for those jobs. The Alliance is also working to secure commitments from employers to hire talented workers with nontraditional education and experience. Training and resources will be provided to employers to drive the adoption of inclusive, sourcing and talent management practices that focus on skills rather than degrees and remove bias in hiring. This initial deployment will be scaled nationally by worker-serving partners through their extensive national networks in communities throughout the country.

This work will draw on the knowledge and resources of more than 30 organizations, bringing additional data, networks, commitments, tools, and technical support from this wider group of Alliance partners. These partners include: Markle Foundation, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, National Urban League and McKinsey & Company, with AFL-CIO, CVS Health, Goodwill Industries International, Google, IBM, Microsoft, North America's Building Trades Unions, Rural LISC, UnidosUS, Workday, Zurich North America and other leading businesses, training, and workforce organizations.

"Working with local organizations is key to connecting people to good jobs," said Zoë Baird, CEO and President, Markle Foundation. "They understand the needs of their communities and have established trusted relationships within those communities that allow them to deliver support and guidance to those who need it most. They also have connections with employers, local government and other nonprofits, to help drive change across the labor market, with the backing of national bodies that can share this work more broadly in the future."

"As we begin the work of rebuilding a post-pandemic economy that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, coalitions like the Rework America Alliance are essential," said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League. "By creating economic opportunity in the communities hardest-hit by the pandemic, we enhance the resiliency of the nation as a whole."

"These community partners bring exemplary leadership and innovative ideas to the Alliance. The Atlanta Fed is excited to contribute to finding real-world solutions to current labor market challenges," said Stuart Andreason, Assistant Vice President and Director of the Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. "Though economic conditions are improving, we still see a 'less-than' recovery where many lower-wage workers and workers of color remain distressed. Efforts like the Rework America Alliance and the dedication of local organizations, like our hometown partners, can help make this a truly equitable recovery."

The selection process for identifying this initial set of regions and partners considered several factors including the underlying economic landscape in these locations, and the organization's commitment to creating a model to allow them to scale this work across their organizations nationally. The regions and partners selected reflect the first phase of deployment, with additional locations to be announced later in the year.

About The Markle Foundation
The Markle Foundation challenges itself and diverse partners to deploy their varied expertise to identify solutions to critical public problems and achieve systemic change. Today as advanced technology and automation change the very nature of work, Markle's priority is advancing solutions toward a labor market that will enable workers in America to move into good jobs in the digital economy. Markle's workforce initiatives include the Rework America Alliance, which draws on Markle's Skillful and Rework America initiatives. This work follows Markle's success in creating the policy and technology architecture that has enabled improvements in healthcare, national security, and access to the Internet. For more information, visit markle.org, follow @MarkleFdn and @ReworkAmerica on Twitter, and read our book, America's Moment.

Note to the Editor

For media inquiries, please contact Carrie Gonzalez, [email protected] or 917-705-6531

For more information about the regional organizations named in today's announcement, please visit https://www.markle.org/rework-america-alliance-local-partnerships

SOURCE Markle Foundation