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

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.  

"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."

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