Washington, D.C. (June 8, 2012)—At today’s Clinton Global Initiative CGI America conference in Chicago, Corporate Voices for Working Families is providing thought leadership and, with key partners, announcing new commitments that advance the mission of the Clinton summit: “To develop solutions that address unemployment, prepare Americans to be competitive global citizens, and rethink current models that shape our economy and society.”
Corporate Voices joined the California Community Colleges system and LearnUp, a technology provider, to unveil an innovative approach to address the nation’s troubling skills gap. Through LearnUp’s online job-training program, national employers will be able to share training content with job seekers, including over 100,000 students at community colleges across California. The platform will enable students to gain the skills employers expect and require in today’s dynamic economy, track their progress on a “skills resume”, and connect directly with companies for job opportunities. Already, some of the nation’s leading employers, including Staples, Safeway, Gap and KPMG LLP, are using LearnUp’s tools.
“LearnUp has the potential to not only bridge the skills gap for employers, but to also offer content guidance to our community college partners across the country,” said John Wilcox, Executive Director of Corporate Voices. “Our members look to us for best-practice business solutions, and we think this partnership will help serve their most pressing talent needs.”
In addition to the new joint commitment, Corporate Voices is pleased to be playing a leadership role in two of the CGI Working Groups. Corporate Voices is helping facilitate the Reconnecting Youth Working Group, which will explore and create strategies that unlock opportunities to connect youth with education and employment, while building new sources of skilled and diverse talent for employers. We are also leading a discussion on “Working Toward Credentials”, part of the conference’s Workforce Development Working Group, which will explore a range of solutions and strategies to improve education and employment for American workers.
Corporate Voices’ expertise derives from a decade of research on how the business community can address the nation’s talent crisis and create a globally competitive workforce. We have been a leader in identifying and promoting innovative “Learn and Earn” partnerships across the country that are doing just that—enabling individuals to continue working while pursuing and completing their postsecondary education. In our Learn and Earn micro business case study series, we have documented a range of these best-practice partnerships, often between businesses and community colleges. And in a forthcoming research report, A Talent Development Solution: Exploring Business Drivers and Returns in Learn and Earn Partnerships, we explore diverse models companies are using to meet their bottom-line talent needs and to support their employees working hard to advance their education and improve their skills. Our Early Findings document summarizes key recommendations.
