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Governor Hickenlooper and Skillful Launch Statewide Career Coaching Professional Development Program to Help Colorado Job Seekers Prepare for Digital Economy Governor’s Coaching Corps Brings Together Some Of The State’s Most Talented Career Coaches To Elevate Best Practices And New Tools That Will Help Coloradans Navigate Economy Dramatically Transformed By Technology Denver, CO — Gov. John Hickenlooper and Skillful announced today the launch of the Governor’s Coaching Corps, a program designed to bring together talented career coaching professionals. The Corps is an innovative investment in frontline career coaching professionals to develop new practices that will help Colorado job seekers navigate the challenges of a labor market being rapidly transformed by technology. “We’re proud of the fact that Colorado has the strongest economy in the country. Still, we have plenty of work to do and that starts with ensuring every Coloradan is prepared to succeed in the new jobs that will drive our future,” said Governor John Hickenlooper. “Skillful offers enormous promise when it comes to empowering job seekers, coaches, and employers alike. The Coaching Corps takes this work one step further, ensuring our workforce professionals have the resources and support necessary to support Colorado as a leader in the national digital economy.” The inaugural Coaching Corps brings together more than 25 of Colorado’s top career coaches from workforce centers, community colleges, high schools, and nonprofit organizations. Over the course of eight months, these coaches will build a supportive cohort through bimonthly retreats, hone their leadership skills, and develop new practices and tools to serve job seekers. Coaches will be trained to share their knowledge within their own organizations, and all program costs, including travel and lodging, are funded by Skillful, an initiative of the Markle Foundation that launched in Colorado in March 2016. The Coaching Corps represents the next phase of Skillful’s career coach development work within the labor market ecosystem. This is part of a broader effort to scale Skillful with a significant investment from Microsoft’s corporate giving arm Microsoft Philanthropies, which was announced earlier this year. “One of the most profound takeaways of Skillful’s work on the ground in Colorado during the past 18 months is that job seekers really want and need a human touchpoint for helping guide them through the dramatic changes happening in the labor market,” said Andi Rugg, Executive Director of Skillful. “The Governor’s Coaching Corps is a key element of Skillful. By investing in Colorado’s dedicated career coaches and working with employers to develop data on growth jobs, we can empower career coaches to better guide job seekers and help them find meaningful opportunities in the digital economy.” In addition to in-depth skills development, the Coaching Corps will provide one-on-one leadership coaching, access to a network of peers and industry leaders, and opportunities for coaches to contribute their skills and experience to solve some of the biggest challenges facing Colorado’s workforce. As part of the program, coaches will join one of five Action Teams devoted to three core themes: Developing 21st Century Coaching Tools: Coaches will explore digital solutions that address the growing need to serve job seekers remotely and at scale, while maintaining an all-important human connection. Identifying Jobseeker-Specific Tools & Approaches: Coaches will develop creative approaches to serve specific segments of the jobseeker population. Cultivating New Partnership Models: Coaches will pilot new partnership models across workforce segments to provide smoother pathways for job seekers. “We recognize that career coaches are on the front lines of helping prepare the state’s workforce for the digital economy, which is why we are focused on providing them the tools they need and deserve to do their jobs even more efficiently and effectively,” said Andi Rugg, executive director of Skillful Colorado. “What we’ve heard from coaches over the past year-and-a-half is that they want a platform for learning new skills and sharing the ideas and best practices they’ve cultivated through their own personal experiences. Our goal is to empower them with these opportunities so they can continue to make real differences in people’s lives.” Skillful is an initiative of the Markle Foundation, in partnership with Microsoft, LinkedIn, the state of Colorado, and many others, that brings together key players across the labor market, including employers, state and local government officials, educators and workforce centers, to help workers adapt to the changing workplace. Skillful provides data, tools, and resources that enable businesses to define the exact skills they seek, and turn those insights into a skills-based hiring process that allows workers to demonstrate and articulate the skills that they can bring to an organization. More information about Skillful can be found at www.skillful.com. Markle Media Contact: Leah Johnson 212-713-7632 or [email protected]
New York, NY – Markle Foundation CEO and President Zoë Baird today announced the appointment of Claudia Husemann as Senior Director, Strategic Communications and Public Engagement. Husemann will be responsible for Markle’s strategic communications and media relations initiatives and public engagement strategy. Markle is working to transform our labor market from one solely focused on traditional credentials, such as degrees and work history, to one rooted in the digital economy skills needed for jobs of the 21st century. It seeks to advance a modern labor market that aligns the skills of the workforce to the needs of employers, keeping American businesses competitive and giving American workers opportunities for quality jobs over the course of their lives. Husemann joins Markle from Edelman, a leading global communications marketing firm, where she served as Executive Vice President with responsibility for one of Edelman’s largest global accounts. She led the Edelman team delivering communications in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia. Husemann previously was Group Head of the firm’s New York Corporate Communications practice. Before joining Edelman, Husemann led Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ New York Corporate Practice after successfully establishing its New York Technology Practice. A graduate of Stanford University with a B.A. in International Relations, Husemann began her career more than 20 years ago in Silicon Valley, where she learned to first immerse herself in her clients’ businesses in order to develop strategic communications campaigns to drive growth and strengthen their market positions. “Claudia brings great capacity to achieve our critical mission at Markle. With the recent launch of our Rework America Task Force, we’re aggressively pursuing opportunities for all Americans to thrive in the digital economy. We are pursuing a skills-based labor market that will unlock economic opportunity for job seekers, workers and businesses,” said Markle CEO and President Zoë Baird. “Claudia has worked with some of the world’s largest and most successful companies. She is smart, creative, and disciplined in her approach to communications. Her enthusiasm and expertise, particularly in using technology for communications, will help us achieve our mission of transforming the U.S. labor market for the 21st century digital economy. Claudia will also lead the communications efforts of Skillful both in Colorado and as we expand Skillful to engage with other states. I am delighted to welcome Claudia to the Markle Foundation and to our senior leadership team.” The Rework America Task Force, which brings together influential leaders from diverse backgrounds and experience, builds on the success of the Markle Foundation’s Skillful initiative, which launched in Colorado in 2016 and focuses on empowering the nearly seven out of ten Americans who don’t have a four-year college degree but have, or can learn, the in-demand skills needed in today’s job market. Skillful provides data, tools, and resources that enable businesses to define the exact skills they seek, and turn those insights into a skills-based hiring process that allows workers to demonstrate and articulate the skills they can bring to an organization. “The Markle Foundation, Skillful and the Rework America Task Force are addressing an issue critical to our nation’s economic health, social fabric, and to individuals’ well-being,” said Husemann. “Markle is an important voice in a timely national conversation that can inspire action to meet the needs of all Americans. I’m excited to be part of it.” About Markle The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology as a breakthrough tool to address some of the nation’s most challenging problems. Working as an operating foundation, Markle has participated in partnerships to build the systems that transform sectors, including creating the policy and technology architecture that has enabled improvements in healthcare, national security, and access to the Internet. Markle’s priority today is to provide Americans with access to good jobs and enable people to prepare for today’s rapidly changing digital economy, as articulated in its book America’s Moment. For more information, visit markle.org, and follow @MarkleFdn and @ReworkAmerica onTwitter. Markle Media Contact: Leah Johnson 212-713-7632 or [email protected]
Partnership of leaders of business, technology, labor, academic and policy communities, will work with America’s employers, workers, job seekers, and educators in urgent effort to disrupt the labor market and provide good jobs. New York, NY – Stepping up to the challenge of including all Americans in the opportunities of the digital economy, the Markle Foundation announced today the formation of the Rework America Task Force (Rework America), a coalition of influential leaders with diverse backgrounds and experience who have joined together in service of modernizing the nation’s outdated labor market and unlocking economic opportunity for American job seekers, workers, and businesses. Rework America is chaired by Denis McDonough, former White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama, and includes members from some of the world’s leading organizations and institutions – including Siemens USA, Microsoft Corp., IBM, Princeton University, Hearsay Systems, the Walmart Foundation and Coursera. The Markle Foundation Advisory Board – chaired by Zoë Baird, CEO and President of the Markle Foundation; with vice chairs Mitch Daniels, former Governor of Indiana and current President of Purdue University, and Penny Pritzker, Chairman, PSP Capital and Pritzker Realty Group; and members James Manyika, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company; Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation; Brad Smith, Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer; and Lisa Garcia Quiroz, Chief Diversity Officer & Senior Vice President, Time Warner, Inc. – will work closely with Rework America, providing counsel and feedback. The goal of Rework America is to fix America’s broken labor market. Across the country, six-million-plus jobs are unfilled because employers can’t find skilled workers, yet millions of Americans with in-demand skills, or job seekers who are capable of getting those skills, are unemployed or underemployed. Rework America seeks comprehensive reform toward a skills-based labor market which includes training workers over the course of their lives in the skills that employers need to compete in the 21st-century economy. The task force will seek to use the same digital technology that is disrupting the economy today to rewire the labor market; connecting relevant stakeholders, trainers and educators, and bringing new clarity and transparency to the job-search process so workers develop in-demand skills. Rework America will highlight successful existing training programs and deploy new training experiments to create practical solutions that will transform America’s labor market from one based largely on traditional credentials, such as degrees and work history, to one rooted in the skills valued in the digital economy. “Too many Americans are being left behind by the changes brought about by globalization and technology,” said Zoë Baird, CEO and President of the Markle Foundation. “Workers deserve good jobs, solid career paths, and income growth. At the same time, American businesses deserve a skilled workforce, ready for the new, digital economy. The system wasn’t going to change on its own, so we’ve brought together some of the boldest leaders of all perspectives to tackle this challenge head-on. “Redesigning the labor market is an ambitious challenge, but we have revolutionary tools at our disposal – digital technologies that have emerged as powerful, transformative forces in our economy,” Zoë Baird added. “’Big Data’ and ‘artificial intelligence’ aren’t buzzwords. They have already had a profound effect on how we do business, and we believe that they can have an equally large impact on how we train workers, and how we connect Americans with opportunity.” “The digital transformation we are living through today is historic, and our response needs to be equally as historic,” said Judy Marks, CEO, Siemens USA, and a Rework America member. “A labor market that was designed in the 20th century to prioritize four-year degrees and work histories is no longer sufficient to keep up with the fast-changing skills necessary to perform the digital jobs of the 21st century. We need to use technology to better align the skills of our workforce to the needs of employers, helping all stakeholders rethink, retool, and revitalize the ways we connect job seekers to open positions. This work is vital for our future, and that’s why I am eager to join the Rework America Task Force.” Rework America builds on the success of the Markle Foundation’s Skillful initiative, which is transforming businesses as well as the lives of job seekers and workers in Colorado. Established in 2016 as a partnership between Governor John Hickenlooper and the state of Colorado, LinkedIn, and others, Skillful provides data, tools, and resources that enable businesses to define the exact skills they seek, and turn those insights into a skills-based hiring process that allows workers to demonstrate and articulate the skills that they can bring to an organization. Recently, Microsoft invested more than $25 million in Markle to expand Skillful’s model in Colorado, expand to another state, and support Rework America. Rework America’s cross-sector, non-partisan approach will focus on systems integration – pulling together, and leveraging currently-existing resources in a more effective manner in order to create new tools and business models to better serve the entire labor ecosystem. The task force will consist of small groups, drawing on each member’s expertise. The task force will deliver its recommendations to key stakeholders and create a path from idea to feedback, to policy and action. “The current labor market fails job seekers, workers, and businesses,” said Denis McDonough, Chair of the Rework America Task Force. “Many workers have the skills employers are looking for to fill open positions, but don’t know it because too many job listings are written in a way that excludes qualified job seekers rather than attracting them. They use credentials like a four-year degree as a proxy instead of listing the actual skills needed to work a job – which is a problem, since nearly seven in 10 Americans don’t have a four-year degree but many have the relevant skills. And our research has found that a middle skilled worker in Colorado could apply for substantially more jobs – and with a $7,000 higher average salary – if jobs with credential gaps reflected today's workforce as opposed to requirements for a college degree. “The Rework America Task Force is ideally suited to help rethink and redesign the American labor market to benefit us all,” Denis McDonough added. “This is a group of proven leaders who have come together to serve as an incubator for fresh ideas, inform state and national-level policy discussions, and develop real-world solutions to build a smarter, modern labor market – over both the short-term and long-term.” The Rework America Task Force is supported, to date, by Carnegie Corporation; the Markle Foundation, Microsoft Philanthropies, the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. About Markle The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology as a breakthrough tool for some of the nation’s most challenging problems. Working as an operating foundation, Markle has participated in partnerships to create policy and technology architecture that has enabled improvements in healthcare, national security, and access to the Internet. Markle’s priority today is to provide Americans with access to good jobs and enable people to prepare for today’s rapidly changing digital economy, as articulated in its book America’s Moment. For more information, visit markle.org, and follow @MarkleFdn and @ReworkAmerica onTwitter. Markle Media Contact: Leah Johnson 212-713-7632 or [email protected]
With $25.8 million grant, Microsoft Philanthropies joins forces with Markle to enable American workers to connect with businesses facing a shortage of skilled labor in an era marked by technology disruption. NEW YORK and REDMOND, Wash. — On Wednesday, the Markle Foundation and Microsoft Corp. announced a three-year partnership to expand Markle’s Skillful initiative, a data-driven approach to connecting American workers and businesses in a rapidly evolving labor market. While advances in technology have helped the economy overall, some American workers are being displaced. Jobs in growing sectors increasingly require new skills earned through a post-secondary degree, certificate or credentialing program. Particularly vulnerable are the nearly seven out of 10 Americans who have transferable skills, but not a four-year college degree. In response, Microsoft’s corporate giving arm Microsoft Philanthropies is making a significant investment to expand Skillful, which was launched in Colorado in 2016. Skillful brings together key players across the labor market — employers, state and federal governments, LinkedIn, educators, and workforce centers — to help American workers adapt to the changing workplace. Skillful’s coaches and online services enable job seekers to learn what skills are in demand, and access professional training at any stage of their career. At the same time, Skillful aligns employers and educators so that their training programs teach the skills required to succeed in today’s digital economy. Starting by expanding throughout Colorado and then moving to additional states, the partnership aims to create a skills-based labor market model that can be replicated across the U.S. to help millions of Americans overcome barriers to obtaining better-paying jobs. In addition to its $25.8 million investment, Microsoft Philanthropies brings to the partnership decades of experience in providing digital skills training for individuals, as well as learning tools for coaches, educators and employers. "Millions of Americans don’t have the information, tools or skills needed to succeed in the digital economy. Weurgently need to transform the labor market so everyone can compete with equal dignity for today’s jobs," saidZoë Baird, CEO and president of the Markle Foundation. "We are living in a time of economic change as sweeping as the Industrial Revolution, and this innovative partnership with Microsoft will help jobseekers and employers rise to this profound challenge." "There are 7.3 million fewer jobs in the United States today for people with a high school degree or less than there were in 1989.At the same time, 6 million jobs in our country go unfilled due in large part to a shortage of skilled workers. This mismatch is leaving workers on the sidelines and employers without the talent they need to run their operations," saidBrad Smith, president of Microsoft. "Skillful is building an entire ecosystem to close this gap, helping Americans find and train for better-paying jobs, while connecting employers with the talent they need to thrive in the digital economy." In Colorado, Skillful is already leveraging data and technology tools such as LinkedIn’s Training Finder to help workers find training and support to prepare them for growth jobs in their community. “Skillful has helped jobseekers in Colorado develop the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly tech-driven workplace and helped employers connect with these talented job seekers,” said Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper.“Microsoft’s investment will bring these benefits to even more workers and companies across the state. Together, we can provide opportunity for income growth and career satisfaction for every Coloradan. I look forward to seeing Skillful serve as a model for the rest of the country.” “Today, you can’t read, listen or watch the news without coming across a story about how technology is displacing jobs. And while there has been a lot of debate about whether or not skills gaps exist, the fact remains there were a record number of open jobs in the United States in April,” said LinkedIn Co-Founder and Vice President of Product Management Allen Blue. “That’s why the work Skillful is doing is so critical — it applies insights, technology and boots on the ground to help people learn the skills they need to qualify for jobs employers are having a hard time filling. Our work in Colorado is proof that while technology is displacing jobs, it’s also helping us upskill people and get them back to work.” To learn more about the benefits of a skills-based labor market in creating opportunities for millions of Americans, watch Microsoft’s and Markle’s joint video. About Markle The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology as a breakthrough tool for some of the nation’s most challenging problems. An operating foundation, Markle has worked in partnerships to create policy and technology architecture that has enabled improvements in healthcare, national security, and access to the Internet. Markle’s priority today is to provide Americans with access to good jobs and enable people to prepare for today’s rapidly changing digital economy, as articulated in its book America’s Moment. For more information, visit markle.org, Skillful.com and follow @MarkleFdn and @JoinSkillful on Twitter. About Microsoft Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected] Markle Media Contact: Lisa MacSpadden or Chris Valens 212-713-7632 or [email protected]
New York – Markle Foundation CEO and President Zoë Baird today announced the appointment of Beth Cobert, former Acting Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and a long-time leader at McKinsey & Company, as Chief Executive Officer of Skillful. Cobert will lead the Foundation’s work to enable all Americans to keep up with the transformations automation is bringing to jobs in the digital economy. Her appointment follows a nation-wide search for a strategic leader to oversee Skillful’s state-based efforts to create a labor market that values each individual’s skillset and provides them with opportunity for a meaningful career path. “Beth is an extraordinary leader for our effort to enable anyone with a smart phone to have a smart career,” said Markle CEO and President Zoë Baird. “Beth has a proven track record, both in the public and private sectors, managing large, complex, and transformational initiatives. She knows how to bring together diverse stakeholders to create systemic change. She offers unparalleled business acumen, and expertise in recruitment, hiring practices and information technology. I am delighted Beth has agreed to join us to take on this critical challenge of our time.” Skillful, now in its second year of operation in Colorado, is a central part of Markle’s economic work to connect American workers to good paying middle-skill jobs. Skillful is particularly focused on empowering the nearly seven out of ten Americans who don’t have a four-year college degree but have great skills needed in today’s job market. There are millions of available jobs across America going unfilled, many of which call for skills that can be demonstrated or developed through apprenticeships, coding camps, and online training courses. Along with partners Markle, LinkedIn, the state of Colorado, and many others, Skillful is giving Americans access to opportunity by prioritizing skills and removing barriers that keep many talented people from applying for in-demand jobs. It is leveraging data and technology tools to ensure workers can find training and support to prepare them for the growth jobs in their community; supporting employers in implementing skills-based hiring practices that can open up their talent pool ; and aligning employers and educators so that training programs teach to the skills that are in demand. “In an economy where automation, artificial intelligence, and other technological developments are transforming jobs at an incredibly rapid pace, we need new pathways to opportunity and we need them now,” said Beth Cobert. “Too many Americans have been shut out as traditional categories of employment and ways of getting training have evolved. I cannot think of a more pressing challenge than helping Americans acquire the skills they need to compete in today’s workplace. I look forward to building on the impressive work already undertaken by the Markle Foundation and the Skillful team.” Cobert will work with senior Markle leadership, including Skillful’s Colorado Executive Director Andi Rugg, to lead the effort to help many more job seekers and employers in the state, as well as to expand Skillful beyond Colorado. She will develop and manage new locations that adopt the Skillful model and identify the infrastructure needed to achieve sustainability. Cobert also will work closely with Denis McDonough, President Obama’s former White House Chief of Staff who joined Markle in February to pursue the federal and state policy changes required to enable workers and employers to thrive in the digital economy. Beth’s private sector business expertise, particularly in the technology sector, will be an asset to Skillful as the team works closely with employers in Colorado and beyond to adopt skills-based hiring practices that take advantage of our nation’s best asset: our skilled and talented workforce. Cobert has extensive experience in workforce issues. As Acting Director of OPM she oversaw efforts to recruit and retain a talented and diverse federal workforce. She was brought into OPM to respond to a major cyber intrusion that compromised the personal information of more than 20 million people. Prior to OPM, she served as Deputy Director for Management and U.S. Chief Performance Officer in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). At OMB, she led efforts to modernize IT systems, improve public-facing services, strengthen cybersecurity across federal systems, and improve employee engagement. Her distinguished public sector career followed nearly thirty years at McKinsey & Company where she led the firm’s Global Marketing and Sales practice and served as a co-leader of the Global Social Sector practice. Cobert managed organizational strategies for corporate, not-for-profit and government entities across a range of sectors including financial, health care, real estate and philanthropy. Over the course of her career at McKinsey she led initiatives on staff recruitment, training and development and championed efforts to support the advancement of women into leadership positions. Cobert previously served as a board member and chair of the United Way of the San Francisco Bay Area and as a member of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council. She received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton University and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University. Media contact Lisa MacSpadden or Chris Valens at 212-713-7632 or [email protected] About Markle The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology as a breakthrough tool for some of the nation’s most challenging problems. It leads a broad collaboration to Rework America to create good jobs and prepare people for today’s rapidly changing digital economy. Markle’s Skillful initiative is returning economic opportunities to Americans without a college diploma. For more information, visit markle.org, Skillful.com and follow @MarkleFdn and @JoinSkillful on Twitter.
New York – Markle CEO and President Zoë Baird today announced the appointment of Denis McDonough as Senior Principal at the Markle Foundation. McDonough will engage in Markle’s work to scale a skills-based labor market that enables all Americans to succeed in a dramatically changed workforce that requires new skills for the digital economy. McDonough served as White House Chief of Staff for President Obama’s second term. Prior to being named Chief of Staff, he served as the White House Deputy National Security Advisor. McDonough’s distinguished career includes working as a senior foreign policy advisor to Senator Tom Daschle and as legislative director to Senator Ken Salazar. “In his role as Chief of Staff to the President of the United States, and during his years of work in Congress, Denis gained unparalleled insights into the profound changes the digital economy has ushered in,” said Markle CEO and President Zoë Baird. “He understands that while there has been enormous growth and prosperity for many, millions of others have experienced years of flat wages, or worse, they’ve seen their jobs disappear as automation has transformed sector after sector. Most vulnerable are the almost 70% of Americans who do not have a college degree. Denis is a highly regarded leader who has managed complex problems and diverse partnerships. His contribution will be invaluable as we work to provide access to opportunities for all Americans, and to create impact at a national scale.” A central part of Markle’s economic work is Skillful, a partnership with Markle, LinkedIn, the state of Colorado, Arizona State University, and others. Skillful aims to transform America’s outdated labor market to reflect the needs of the digital economy that puts a new emphasis on skills, which can come from many sources including certificate programs, boot camps, on-line training, community college and college courses. Skillful is providing transparency for workers around the skills they have or the skills they need, and where they can find the training and support to be competitive. It is helping employers find the talent they need to grow, and providing insights to educators to help them train people in the skills required to compete in today’s economy. McDonough will work with Markle’s team to design and develop a strategy to scale Skillful and develop partnerships with others who are leading efforts to expand opportunities for Americans to learn and train for the work of the future. McDonough will look at critical national and local policy supports needed to enable workers to thrive in the digital economy, including in Colorado, where Skillful launched last year, and in other states as Skillful grows. He also will help Markle with its national search for a CEO to lead Skillful. “If more Americans are to succeed in today’s economy, we need new ideas,” said Denis McDonough. “Traditional categories of employment, ways of getting training, and the relationship between employers and workers are continually evolving, and we need to connect Americans to the jobs where trained workers are in demand. I am honored to join with Zoë Baird and the Markle team in their effort to ensure that models such as Skillful can help U.S. workers across the country.” Survey results from a national study by The Pew Research Center, in collaboration with Markle, found the economy and jobs to be top of mind with Americans, with 65% of respondents saying they think good jobs are difficult to find where they live and 87% of respondents saying it is essential or important to continually train and learn new skills to keep up with changes in the workplace. “Americans recognize the importance of skills and training,” said Baird. “But they can’t do it alone. They need pathways to demonstrate their skills and to learn new skills. The challenge of our time is to make sure all Americans can benefit from the wave of digital revolutions that have upended modern life.” Media contact Lisa MacSpadden or Chris Valens at 212-713-7632 or [email protected] About Markle The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology as a breakthrough tool for some of the nation’s most challenging problems. It leads a broad collaboration to Rework America to create good jobs and prepare people for today’s rapidly changing digital economy. Markle’s Skillful initiative is returning economic opportunities to Americans without a college diploma. For more information, visit markle.org, Skillful.com and follow @MarkleFdn and @JoinSkillful on Twitter.
New York - The Markle Foundation today congratulated entrepreneur Joel Hyatt and the team at Globality on this week’s launch of the Silicon Valley based start-up, of which Markle is a founding shareholder. Globality has created a business-to-business marketplace to help connect smaller companies with some of the world’s largest corporations, using artificial intelligence and the expertise of industry veterans to unlock opportunities and to open markets. “Platforms like Globality have the power to drive change to expand economic opportunity for more American small and medium sized businesses,” said Markle CEO and President Zoe Baird. “Globality has the potential to have real impact on the global marketplace.” Globality’s mission to leverage globalization to help more people connect to a dynamic global economy was inspired by Markle, and addressed in Rework America’s collectively authored book, America’s Moment: Creating Opportunity in the Connected Age, released by W.W. Norton & Company in 2015. Markle convened Rework America, a collective of more than 50 national leaders, to advance transformative strategies and scalable solutions to create opportunities for all Americans in today’s rapidly changing global, digital economy. In America’s Moment, they called for creating platforms to become the intermediaries to help American businesses compete on the global stage, especially small companies that don’t know where to start. In the third chapter, Connect to a World of Buyers, the Rework America authors promote a strategy that brings the world of buyers to America’s desktops and tablets in order to help Americans explore new markets. Globality is moving this idea forward by enabling sellers—the small and medium sized service providers— to expand their customer base in new markets while buyers—large corporations—get access to a network of vetted service providers, as well as efficiencies that help reduce costs. Rework America members have undertaken many impactful efforts to increase access to opportunities in the digital age. The initiative inspired the innovative Starbucks - ASU College Achievement Plan that provides access to an online college education at ASU for thousands of Starbucks employees. Rework America also led to the creation of Skillful.com, a partnership among Markle, LinkedIn, the state of Colorado, Arizona State University and others to create and scale a skills-based labor market. Other efforts in which Markle has engaged with its Rework America members include collaboration with the Aspen Institute Future of Work on policy changes for the workplace and workforce, and an effort with the MIT Center for Digital Business to develop a framework to better measure the economy. Media contact Lisa MacSpadden or Chris Valens at 212-713-7632 or [email protected] About Markle The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology as a breakthrough tool for some of the nation’s most challenging problems. It leads a broad collaboration to Rework America to create good jobs and prepare people for today’s rapidly changing digital economy. Markle’s Skillful initiative is returning economic opportunities to Americans without a college diploma. For more information, visit markle.org, Skillful.com and follow @MarkleFdn and @JoinSkillful on Twitter.
New York - The Markle Foundation today announced that James Manyika, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, has joined its Board of Directors. Based in Silicon Valley for 20 years, Dr. Manyika has worked with many of the world’s leading technology companies and their chief executives on a variety of issues including strategy and innovation. He is also director of the McKinsey Global Institute where he serves as one of three global leaders of McKinsey’s business and economics research arm, and he serves on McKinsey & Company’s Shareholder Council (McKinsey’s Board of Directors). Dr. Manyika has led pioneering research on the global economy, including growth and productivity, technology and the digital economy, automation and the future of work, globalization and competitiveness. His work is closely aligned with Markle’s economic initiative that is focused on leveraging technology and globalization to expand opportunities for employment and to broaden ways Americans can learn and train for the work of the future. Dr. Manyika has been a member of Markle’s Rework America initiative, a collective of more than 50 entrepreneurs, educators, technology leaders, CEOs, community leaders, and others committed to advancing solutions to provide access to opportunities in today’s rapidly changing economy. He is co-author of the Rework America book, America’s Moment: Creating Opportunity in the Connected Age, and co-author of many MGI books including No Ordinary Disruption: The Four Global Forces Breaking All the Trends. Dr. Manyika also has published numerous academic and business articles and reports that have appeared in media writings and journals. He has spoken about the global economy at numerous forums around the world, including at the White House, G20/B20, UN General Assembly, the European Commission, Moscow Open Innovations, and the Vatican. “We are so pleased to have James join Markle’s board as we work to advance innovations that provide equal dignity for all Americans in the digital economy,” said Zoë Baird, CEO and President of Markle. “His knowledge of the digital economy and technology trends will help us drive transformative strategies to scale a skills-based labor market where job seekers can get the skills for in-demand jobs and employers can find the workforce they need to grow.” President Obama appointed Mr. Manyika as vice chair of the President’s Global Development Council at the White House, and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker appointed him to her Digital Economy Board of Advisers, co- chaired by Markle CEO and President Zoë Baird. He is also on the boards of The Council on Foreign Relations, the Aspen Institute, the Oxford Internet Institute, MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy, UC Berkeley’s School of Information, and Harvard’s Hutchins Center. Dr. Manyika was on the engineering faculty at Oxford University, a member of the Robotics Research Lab and Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford University, a visiting scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Man-Machine Systems, and a faculty exchange fellow at MIT. A Rhodes Scholar and a Smith Rippon Senior Scholar, he holds DPhil, MSc, and MA degrees from Oxford in robotics and engineering, mathematics and computer science, and a BS degree in electrical engineering from the University of Zimbabwe. Media contact Lisa MacSpadden or Chris Valens at 212-713-7632 or [email protected] About Markle The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology as a breakthrough tool for some of the nation’s most challenging problems. It leads a broad collaboration to Rework America to create good jobs and prepare people for today’s rapidly changing digital economy. Markle’s Skillful initiative is returning economic opportunities to Americans without a college diploma. For more information, visit markle.org, Skillful.com and follow @MarkleFdn and @JoinSkillful on Twitter.
How the shifting economic landscape is reshaping work and society and affecting the way people think about the skills and training they need to get ahead WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 6, 2016) – A changing economic landscape is driving significant shifts in the American workplace. Employment opportunities increasingly lie in jobs requiring higher-level social or analytical skills, while physical or manual skills are fading in importance, according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted in association with the Markle Foundation. Not coincidentally, an analysis of government jobs data finds that employment is rising faster in jobs calling for greater preparation. The number of workers in occupations requiring average to above-average education, training and experience increased 68% from 1980 to 2015. This was more than double the 31% increase in employment in jobs requiring below-average education, training and experience. For their part, the vast majority of U.S. workers say that new skills and training may hold the key to their future job success. New survey data find that 54% of adults in the labor force say it will be essential for them to get training and develop new skills throughout their work life in order to keep up with changes in the workplace, and another 33% say it will be important to do so. Workers are acting on this belief, with 45% saying they’ve taken a class or received training in the past year to learn, maintain or improve their work skills. Americans believe the responsibility for preparing and succeeding in today’s workforce starts with individuals themselves. Roughly seven-in-ten (72%) say that individuals have “a lot” of responsibility to make sure workers have the right skills and education to be successful, while 60% believe public K-12 schools should bear a lot of responsibility for this. Smaller shares say colleges and universities (52%), employers (49%), state governments (40%) and the federal government (35%) should have a lot of responsibility. A majority of Americans (65%) say that good jobs are difficult to find where they live, but views of the situation have improved since the height of the Great Recession. However, on the whole, American workers are generally satisfied with their own jobs: 49% of American workers say they are very satisfied with their current job, while three-in-ten are somewhat satisfied. And most Americans overall feel their own jobs are secure; 60% of employed Americans say it is not at all likely that they will lose their job or be laid off in the next 12 months. The earnings of workers overall have stagnated since 1980, lagging behind gains in labor productivity. Moreover, smaller shares of workers received health or retirement benefits from their employers in 2015 than did in 1980. More recently, alternative employment arrangements, such as contract work, on-call work and temporary help agencies, appear to be on the rise. As they look at the future, large numbers of Americans believe the demands on workers will intensify and job security will diminish in the coming 20 to 30 years. Roughly seven-in-ten Americans (71%) say that workers will have to improve their skills more often in the future in order to keep up with job-related developments. About half (51%) think there will be less job security in 20 to 30 years, and a plurality (44%) believes employee benefits will not be as good in the future. When it comes to worker loyalty, 43% say employees will show less loyalty to their employers in the future, while an identical share believe the current levels of loyalty will prevail. The new report, based on an analysis of Department of Labor and Current Population Survey data and a national survey conducted May 25-June 29, 2016, among 5,006 adults (including 3,096 employed adults), examines trends in the labor market and how they are playing out in the lives of American workers. Among the findings: Americans see outsourcing jobs and imports of foreign goods as the greatest harms to U.S. workers, but they believe exporting more U.S. products abroad helps U.S. workers. As they assess the factors that may be hurting U.S. workers, 80% say outsourcing hurts American workers, and 77% say the same about more foreign-made products being sold in the U.S. Many also cite the increased use of contract and temporary workers (57%) and the decline of union membership (49%) as harmful factors. The impact of immigrants and automation draw more evenly divided verdicts. On the other end of the spectrum, majorities think exports of U.S.-made products (68%) and work-enhancing technology such as the internet and email (70%) help U.S. workers. Americans are less worried about immigrants’ impact on jobs than they were a decade ago. Today, 45% of adults say that the growing number of immigrants working in the U.S. hurts workers, and 42% say having more immigrants helps workers. This is a noteworthy change from 2006, when there was a nearly two-to-one view that the growing number of immigrants hurts U.S. workers (55% vs. 28% who said immigrants help workers). Democrats, blacks and those with less than a high school diploma are all notably more likely now than in 2006 to think the growing number of immigrants helps workers. The shifting demand for skills in the modern workplace may be working to the benefit of women. Women, who represent 47% of the overall workforce, make up the majority of workers in jobs where social or analytical skills are relatively more important. Wages are rising much faster in those jobs, which has likely contributed to the shrinking of the gender pay gap from 1980 to 2015. People have been staying at their jobs longer in recent years. In 2014, about half of workers (51%) had worked for their current employer five years or more, compared with 46% of workers in 1996. Educational attainment is a clear and consistent marker when it comes to feelings about job security and future prospects. While 39% of those without a high school education say it is very or fairly likely they may be laid off in the next 12 months, only 7% of those with a bachelor’s degree or more say the same. Those with lower levels of education also are more likely to feel their current skills are insufficient for career advancement and to think there are not good jobs locally. Americans have somewhat mixed attitudes about the effectiveness of traditional higher education institutions. While many college graduates describe their own experience as having a positive impact on their personal and professional development, just 16% of all Americans think that a four-year degree prepares students “very well” for a well-paying job in today’s economy. An additional 51% say this type of degree prepares students “somewhat well” for the workplace. You can read the report online at https://www.markle.org/stateofamericanjobs or http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/10/06/the-state-of-american-jobs. Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. Subscribe to the Center’s daily and weekly email newsletters or follow its Fact Tank blog. The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology as a breakthrough tool for some of the nation’s most challenging problems. It leads a broad collaboration to Rework America to create good jobs and prepare people for today’s rapidly changing digital economy. Markle’s Skillful initiative is returning economic opportunities to Americans without a college diploma. For more information, visit markle.org, skillful.com and follow @MarkleFdn on Twitter. Download
Contact: Lisa MacSpadden The Markle Foundation 212-713-7686 [email protected] New York—A new national survey sponsored and developed by the Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative, the Markle Foundation, Burson-Marsteller and TIME looks at how companies are coping with new employment models such as the growth of contingent and contract work and the On-Demand Economy. The survey was conducted by research firm Penn Schoen Berland (PSB). According to the Workforce of the Future Survey, a majority of all employers, 56 percent, say having a full-time employee makes it easier to accommodate the ebbs and flows in work volume and report that contract workers are less loyal or invested. Conversely, employers cite using independent contractors both for the flexibility of hiring workers with specific skills as the need arises (90 percent), as well as for cost-saving purposes such as taxes and benefits (86 percent). Still, when presented with the tradeoff, most employers (58 percent) say full-time hires are better for their company because they provide more value over the long-term despite having to pay more up-front on taxes and benefits. The survey is featured now in a story on Time.com. Read the story byTIME San Francisco Bureau Chief Katy Steinmetz. KEY FINDINGS: WHILE MOST EMPLOYERS PREFER FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, MORE THAN HALF ARE CURRENTLY USING INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS AND EXPECT THEMSELVES AND OTHERS TO USE MORE IN THE FUTURE. A majority of all employers, 67 percent, say their company seeks to limit the number of contingent workers in favor of full-time employees, while 60 percent report using contingent workers. Of those who use contract labor, a majority, 57 percent, expect to use more in the future – and 70 percent of all employers predict that more companies and organizations will move toward a more on-demand labor model. WHILE FOUR OUT OF FIVE EMPLOYERS BELIEVE PROVIDING WORKERS WITH BENEFITS IS NECESSARY TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT A MAJORITY OF EMPLOYERS DO NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING BENEFITS TO INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS.Seventy-nine percent of employers believe offering benefits to employees is a critical component of attracting talent, which tracks with the earlier On-Demand Economy Survey (an online survey of 3,000 adult Americans by Burson-Marsteller, The Aspen Institute and TIME fielded by PSB from November 16-25, 2015), which showed more than half of On-Demand Economy workers (54 percent) believe they should receive more benefits as part of their job. At the same time, two thirds of employers feel they should NOT be responsible for providing benefits to independent contractors, but don’t agree on who should bear that responsibility. And 50 percent don’t think they should be responsible for providing training or education to independent contractors. Twenty-two percent of employers believe workers themselves should be responsible for providing benefits, 18 percent believe private companies that help workers manage/gain benefits should be responsible, while just 9 percent say it’s the government’s responsibility. For this survey, the definition of non-employee contingent workers is those who work for an organization on a non-permanent basis and typically work on a form 1099, as opposed to full time, W2- based employees of an organization. Contract or non-employee contingent workers are also known as freelancers, independent contractors, or temporary contract workers. They do not include workers, part time or full time, who are issued a Form W2. Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) conducted 800 online interviews with employers (i.e., employers or business owners who make hiring decisions for their organization), from June 5-16, 2016. “More than 80 percent of surveyed employers who use contingent workers do so because it allows them to quickly adjust to changing workforce needs or to hire people with specific in-demand skills,” said Markle CEO and President Zoe Baird. “This makes it all the more important to ensure all workers have the skills they need in today’s ever changing labor market, whether they are full-time employees or contingent workers. A more highly skilled workforce, one that can easily find pathways to train and retrain, is critical to enabling everyone to see themselves in the digital economy.” “The consensus that held the 20th Century social contract together is coming apart,” said Bruce Reed, co-chair of the Aspen Institute’s Future of Work Initiative.“Whilecompanies prefer full-time employees, more and more are using independent contractors to reduce costs, and two-thirds say providing those workers benefits is someone else's responsibility. We need a 21st Century social contract that works for everyone by making it easier for employers to share its responsibilities in investing in workers and easier for all Americans to take more benefits with them from job to job.” The Workforce of the Future Survey also reveals insights regarding the On-Demand Economy, defined for respondents as an industry that encourages consumers to share the use of goods and services rather than own them individually. Employers are both familiar with (71 percent) and favorable (68 percent) toward the On-Demand Economy, with 35 percent of employers saying they will use and provide more On-Demand Economy services in the next five years. “This new survey reveals we are at a critical point in the evolution of the modern workforce,” said Donald A. Baer, Worldwide Chair and CEO, Burson-Marsteller. “We started our research into this trend with the release of The On-Demand Economy Survey earlier this year, and the two surveys taken together demonstrate how the relationship between employers and workers is changing in this new environment.” Among the survey’s other findings: BOTH EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS SEE THE ON-DEMAND ECONOMY AS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.Sixty-two percent of all employers believe that the On-Demand Economy is a completely different way of doing business and 52 percent say the On-Demand Economy is creating more opportunities for workers by bringing more wage-earning opportunities to more people. Similarly, according to the earlier On Demand Economy Survey, sixty-two percent of On-Demand Economy workers say it is a completely different way of doing business and 57 percent say it is creating more opportunities for workers by bringing more wage-earning opportunities to more people. ALMOST ALL EMPLOYERS ARE SATISFIED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF CONTINGENT WORKERS. Ninety-seven percent of employers who use independent contractors report they are satisfied with their performance, those employers who report they will use more independent contractors are 98 percent satisfied and even those who say they will use fewer independent contractors report a 95 percent satisfaction rate with these workers. EMPLOYERS HAVE AND WILL MOVE TOWARD MORE AUTOMATION, BUT SO FAR LARGE EMPLOYERS HAVE LED THE WAY. Sixty-two percent of all employers say in the last five years, “my organization has invested in automating more tasks and functions” as compared to 77 percent of companies with 1000+ employees. In the next five years, 68 percent of all employers “will invest in automating tasks and functions” compared to 81 percent of companies with 1000+ employees. EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR LOYAL, ENGAGED EMPLOYEES AND INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS DON’T MEET THAT EXPECTATION. Fifty-eight percent of employers who hire independent contractors agree that “non-employee contingent workers are not as loyal.” Additionally, 54 percent of employers agree that non-employee contingent workers are “not always available when I need them;” and 52 percent agree that non-employee contingent workers are “not as invested in their product.” THERE IS A LARGE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN BENEFITS OFFERED TO FULL-TIME WORKERS AND INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS. Eighty percent of employers who hire independent contractors offer Healthcare benefits to full-time, W2-based employees, while only 17 percent offer those same benefits to independent contractors. Also, 80 percent of all employers offer paid vacation to full-time W2 based employees, while just 13 percent offer these benefits to independent contractors. While the survey reports clear signs indicating traditional employment is still the most common model governing the workplace, there are definite changes to the traditional model as a result of emerging workplace trends, which will impact the workforce of the future. Methodology From June 5-16, 2016, Penn Schoen Berland (PSB) conducted 800 online interviews with employers (i.e. employers or business owners who make hiring decisions for their organization). The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 3.46% and larger for subgroups. This survey builds off the November, 2015 On-Demand Economy Survey by Burson-Marsteller, The Aspen Institute and TIME which surveyed 3,000 adult Americans to understand the size and composition of the On-Demand Economy in the United States and to provide insights into trends surrounding the On-Demand Economy and its participants (both workers and users). About The Aspen Institute and the Future of Work Initiative The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Future of Work Initiative is a nonpartisan effort to identify concrete ways to upgrade the social contract and propose a more inclusive and dynamic model of capitalism in the midst of sweeping changes in the 21st‐century workplace and workforce. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/future-of-work/ About the Markle Foundation The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology to address some of the nation’s most challenging issues in national security, health care, and the economy. Markle’s current initiative, Rework America, is focused on accelerating innovations that use the forces of technology and globalization to return opportunities to Americans in today’s rapidly changing digital economy. For more information, visit markle.org and follow us on Twitter @MarkleFdn. About Time Inc. Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is one of the world's leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 150 million visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple and Southern Living, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom. About Penn Schoen Berland Penn Schoen Berland (PSB), a member of Young & Rubicam Group and the WPP Group, is a global research-based consultancy specializing in messaging and communications strategy for blue-chip corporate, political and entertainment clients. PSB’s operations include over 200 consultants and a sophisticated in-house market research infrastructure with the capability to conduct work in more than 90 countries. The company operates offices around the world, including in Washington D.C., New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, London, Hamburg, Madrid and Dubai, which are supported by in-house field capabilities and fully equipped to provide the complete creative solutions PSB clients need. For more information, please visit www.psbresearch.com.
New York – The Markle Foundation announced today that Kathleen Murphy has joined its Board of Directors. Named among the 50 Most Powerful Women in American Business by Fortune, and the 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance by US Banker, Ms. Murphy is President of Personal Investing at Fidelity Investments. She is a leader of Fidelity’s digital strategy and has a strong interest in developing the future workforce. In addition to her expertise in the financial sector, Ms. Murphy is passionate about helping women learn financial management strategies to achieve financial security, explaining that 90 percent of women will have to manage their finances on their own at some point in their life. Ms. Murphy also is an advocate of mentoring programs to help young people achieve their full potential. “We are delighted to have Kathy help us advance transformative strategies and solutions that expand opportunities for all Americans in the digital economy,” said Zoë Baird, CEO and President of Markle. “Her commitment to inspiring today’s generation of workers, and her efforts to help them learn leadership skills, is so important to developing a successful workforce of tomorrow. This will be of tremendous value in our work to scale a skills-based labor market where job seekers are trained and prepared for the work of tomorrow and judged on the basis of their skills, rather than degrees alone.” Prior to joining Fidelity in 2009, Ms. Murphy was CEO of ING U.S. Wealth Management. She previously served as Group President of its Worksite and Institutional Financial Services division, and prior to that as the firm’s General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer. She began her career with Aetna, spending 15 years in a variety of legal and government affairs positions, culminating in the role of General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Aetna Financial Services. Ms. Murphy sits on the Board of Governors of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, is a Board Member of the National Football Foundation, and participates in the Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership program. She previously served on the Board of Directors of America’s Promise Alliance. Ms. Murphy graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Economics and Political Science from Fairfield University and holds a Juris Doctor degree with highest honors from the University of Connecticut School Of Law. She is a frequent LinkedIn Influencer contributor, where she shares her insights about leadership, mentoring, and financial security. Media Contact: [email protected] About Markle The Markle Foundation works to realize the potential of information technology to address some of the nation’s most challenging issues in national security, health care, and the economy. Markle’s current initiative, Rework America, is focused on accelerating innovations that use the forces of technology and globalization to return opportunities to Americans in today’s rapidly changing digital economy For more information, visit markle.org, follow the foundation on Twitter @MarkleFdn, and visit Rework America. press release, media release
Phoenix, AZ – Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton joined Markle Foundation CEO and President Zoë Baird, LinkedIn Vice President of Product Management and Co-Founder Allen Blue, Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo and Arizona State University officials today as Skillful went live in greater Phoenix and Maricopa County. Employers and educators including Arizona Public Service, Affinity Technology, and Maricopa Community College District joined with job seekers from across the Phoenix region for the roll-out of Skillful, a new skills-based platform that values people’s skills, not just degrees, and which supports lifelong learning in today’s rapidly changing economy. Skillful is a network of online tools and on-the-ground resources that connects job seekers to fast growing and well-paying jobs and to the educators who can help them get training, acquire new skills, and advance their careers. Skillful’s digital tools and in-person support will help job seekers identify the specific skills and training needed to obtain available jobs, even if they don’t have a college degree. It meets job seekers where they are – online or in their community – through career navigators who can help guide them through their job search. Skillful also works with employers to offer innovative tools and advisors to broaden their talent pool by helping them create skills-based job descriptions and to hire workers based on the core skills needed for the job. Skillful is geared toward middle-skill job seekers: individuals with at least a high school diploma, but not a four-year degree. Over 30 percent of the job openings in the Phoenix area are geared toward middle-skilled workers. These are good jobs that pay well, with many of them offering a median salary above $60,000 a year. On Skillful, job seekers will be able to explore salaries and job openings by sector, and find trainings directly linked to specific job paths. “Skillful is a new opportunity for people who don’t have a college diploma to show the skills they have and to get connected to great jobs,” said Zoë Baird, CEO and President of the Markle Foundation. “71 percent of Phoenix area residents don’t have a college degree, but they have great skills. Jobs are changing so dramatically because of technology and globalization. People need to be able to learn new skills over the course of a lifetime and to retool throughout their career. Skillful is going to provide new paths for people to show that they have the skills to get jobs that have income growth potential and the opportunity to move in new directions.” Skillful unites the combined efforts of national partners like LinkedIn, edX and Arizona State University, and local partners including the city of Phoenix, Arizona Manufacturing Partnership, Arizona Technology Council, Arizona Commerce Authority, and anchor navigators Maricopa Community College District, Goodwill of Central Arizona and [email protected] to expand paths for job seekers to advance their careers. “As Phoenix continues to look for ways to stay competitive, Skillful will help those in our workforce gain the skills they need to get ahead,” said Mayor Greg Stanton. “We are honored to be one of the first cities in the nation to go live with Skillful, which shows our commitment to skills-based training and hiring.” “Skillful chose Phoenix and Maricopa County because of the opportunities our community has to offer,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo. “We have thriving businesses and a workforce that is eager to take advantage of openings in growing industries. Skillful will be able to connect individuals with good paying positions that will benefit our economy.” The city of Phoenix and the state of Colorado are the first locations to go live with Skillful. The national partners chose these locations for their track record and commitment to job and opportunity creation, education and innovation, as well as their commitment to building partnerships aimed at improving the lives of their citizens. “Forty-four percent of Colorado and Phoenix employers say it’s hard to find people with the right technical skills,” said LinkedIn VP of Product Management and Co-Founder Allen Blue. “And fifty-four percent of U.S. workers who have a high school diploma and some or no college education say they don’t know what jobs are available, and if they have the skills needed for those jobs. We’re excited to help overcome this disconnect by partnering with Skillful and providing employers and educators with Economic Graph insights that spur collaboration on curriculum, and to empower job seekers to find training programs that will teach them the skills they need to get the jobs they want.” LinkedIn is also working with Skillful to help develop more skills-based job descriptions. Additionally, ASU has been a thought leader in creating the Skillful partnership. "Arizona State University is committed to building lifelong learning pathways with a variety of on-ramps and off-ramps into post-secondary education," said ASU President Michael Crow. "Our education technology experts at EdPlus helped design and build the Skillful platform because it will offer Phoenix and Maricopa County residents access to the learning opportunities they need to develop a career path." Skillful will provide employers with the data and templates they need to craft job descriptions based on skills versus using degrees as a default. These same skills can help inform on-the-job training or collaborations with educators. Skillful will help facilitate better connections between employers and local education and training institutions, allowing these institutions to tailor programs to ensure workers have the skills and knowledge to be successful. Businesses in Phoenix now will have with direct access to the skilled employees they need to fill their open positions. Employers across the region are already on board including Affinity Technology, Arizona Public Service, Axosoft, Ipro Tech, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Nichols Precision, Outlook Advisors, and Pinnacle Transplant Technologies. “We are engaged with Skillful to help build out a qualified pipeline of employees who we know will be a strong fit for our company,” said Russ Yelton, CEO of Pinnacle Transplant Technologies. “Skillful will allow us to better describe the specific skills required of potential employees. This means we’ll take less time to fill a job and have happier, more productive workers which benefits us all.” Skillful will concentrate opportunities on some of the largest industries in the greater Phoenix area and in Maricopa County starting in advanced manufacturing and information technology. “IT is a continually-evolving sector. Skillful will help our business find better talent by focusing our recruitment efforts on skills needed to accomplish the job,” said Dave Sloan, President of Affinity Technology. “Additionally, by working with local education partners, we can help ensure the trainings they provide are relevant to what to companies like mine need to continue to grow.” "We applaud the Markle Foundation in bringing Skillful to Phoenix. Skillful provides an opportunity for Innovate+Educate to continue our work to advance skills based hiring,” said Jamai Blivin, CEO of Innovate+Educate. “The Markle Foundation has been incredibly thoughtful and diligent in architecting and designing Skillful, and we look forward to working with the many leaders in Phoenix to expand access and new opportunities to education, skills training and employment via Skillful." For educators, Skillful will provide crucial data about the employment picture in the regions they are serving and help them develop curricula to better prepare workers for the ever-changing labor landscape. “Skillful offers us a way to reach more potential students and have greater access to insights about local employers which can help us ensure that our educational programs continue to meet industry needs,” said Dr. Randall Kimmens, Ed.D, Associate Vice Chancellor, Workforce Development, Maricopa Community Colleges. “We want our students to get the best jobs possible and Skillful will provide us with crucial data about what types of jobs our alumni are getting and about the employment picture in our region, allowing us to adapt our programs to give our students a leg up.” Skillful is using advanced statistical modeling to reach middle-skill job seekers in their communities through experienced advisors and career coaches based in local non-profits. Skillful users will be able to draw on these set of coaches – called navigators – through organizations like Goodwill of Central Arizona and [email protected] These expert navigators also will be able to use the tools and resources from Skillful to better serve their population. Skillful tools are informed by data and insights from some of the best research firms in the nation – LinkedIn, Civis Analytics, and North Star Opinion Research, and strategy support was provided by McKinsey & Company. Employers, job seekers, educational institutions and community-based organizations interested in trying Skillful are invited to visit www.skillful.com for more information. Skillful also can be found on Facebook at Facebook.com/JoinSkillful and on Twitter @JoinSkillful. Media Contact: [email protected] About Markle and Rework America Markle leverages the potential of information technology to drive solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing problems in the areas of health, the economy, and national security. Markle’s current initiative, Rework America, is focused on accelerating innovations that use the forces of technology and globalization to return opportunities to Americans in today’s rapidly changing networked economy. For more information, visit markle.org, follow the foundation on Twitter @MarkleFdn, and visit Rework America. press release, media release Skillful
