CHICAGO - More than a dozen leading, U.S.-based companies today announced the formation of the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, which has the goal of being the nation's largest employer-led coalition committed to creating pathways to meaningful employment for America's young people. The coalition has the collective goal of engaging at least 100,000 Opportunity Youth - 16-24 year olds who face systemic barriers to jobs and education - by 2018 through apprenticeships, internships, training programs, and both part-time and full-time jobs. Additionally, the coalition will leverage existing collaborative efforts on the ground in a handful of cities to partner in building these pathways. The founding companies include Alaska Airlines, Cintas, CVS Health, Hilton Worldwide, HMSHost, JCPenney, JPMorgan Chase, Lyft, Macy's, Microsoft, Porch.com, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Target, Walgreens and Walmart.
Chicago to Host First Opportunity Fair & Forum
The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative will accelerate the coalition's hiring commitment with an employer initiated Opportunity Fair & Forum for Opportunity Youth in Chicago on Aug. 13, where the participating companies expect to collectively train more than 2,000 youth and make at least 200 on-the-spot job offers, delivering immediate impact for their businesses, the Chicago community and many participating candidates. By partnering with local workforce leaders, the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative expects to hire at least 1,000 youth in the Chicago area over the next 18 months. Over the next 30 days, the growing coalition will continue to welcome the participation of new companies who share a commitment to hiring Opportunity Youth. This initial event will serve as a catalyst for hiring and training efforts across the nation with the collective goal of engaging 100,000 Opportunity Youth by 2018.
The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, working with LeadersUp, will serve as an aggregator and intermediary for the initial event in Chicago. The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative will also engage a broad collaboration of community based organizations to provide resources including on-the-spot mentorship and feedback, mockinterviews and skills training for job readiness, college prep, volunteer opportunities and internships.
"The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative is creating a meaningful pathway to opportunity for thousands of young people - starting here in Chicago. With the right tools and resources, the next generation of Chicagoans can make a measurable impact in our community through civic engagement and strengthen our City's economy. I am pleased that Chicago was selected to host the first hiring event, and I look forward to working with these companies to help solve a critical issue facing our neighborhoods and the young people who live there today," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The Opportunity Forum will be hosted by Grammy and Academy Award winning performing artist and actor Common who will lead an open discussion with more than 2,000 young people and their support networks focused on economic opportunity in America. Joining Common on stage will be special guests, entertainers and speakers.
"I believe in the talent that lies within our young people, and I know that when we give them a real chance, they will achieve and soar. I am excited to be a part of bringing jobs and opportunities to our great city," said Common.
The Opportunity Ahead
In the U.S. alone, there are currently 5.6 million youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who are out of school and not working. At the same time, there are 3.5 million unfilled jobs in the U.S. Jobs that do not require a four-year degree - sometimes called middle-skill jobs - make up the largest part of the labor market in the United States. For employers looking to fill these jobs, young, motivated workers are a vital and untapped resource. However, young people are often unaware that these opportunities are available, nor are they aware of the steps they need to take to pursue and secure these jobs. At the same time, employers often do not have clear strategies to effectively recruit, train and retain young workers.
In response, the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative is committing to create the pathways young workers need to build skills, attain credentials and ultimately secure a job. Companies engaged in the coalition will help to launch careers for young people who are just entering the workforce through internships, apprenticeships and on the job training, as well as to develop the potential of youth who have some work experience but are looking to gain new skills that will lead to a successful career. These companies have joined together and are operating with the belief that with the right skills and training, Opportunity Youth represent an unrealized pipeline of talent and an economic engine that can be ignited.
"In America, your ZIP code should never determine your destiny. Breaking down barriers to employment for young people doesn't just help the individual workers - it benefits entire communities and the economy at large. The corporate leaders championing the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative recognize that promoting career opportunities for youth is a win-win, and I hope more employers will follow their lead. I'm pleased to see the Chicago Cook Workforce Board leveraging public workforce system capacity to connect young people with employers, training, and good jobs," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez.
Leadership and Commitment to Hiring Opportunity Youth
The Aspen Institute's Forum for Community Solutions will act as an intermediary for the initiative, building upon the existing work of its national Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund (OYIF). The OYIF currently supports collaborative efforts focused on Opportunity Youth in 21 communities around the country. The Aspen Institute will provide direct leadership, technical assistance, and programmatic support to launch the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative in a handful of those cities. Funders participating in the initiative include: Joyce Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Schultz Family Foundation, Starbucks, Walmart Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Alaska Airlines: Commitment to Opportunity Youth
Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), has a singular focus on youth and education, and is committed to building education and career pathways for youth in the communities it serves. By focusing on ways to expose youth to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers through targeted giving, mentorship and other programs, Alaska is engaging the leaders of tomorrow and developing talent for the aviation industry. In its home state of Washington, Alaska has given $2.5 million to fund the Alaska Airlines Aerospace Education Center at the Museum of Flight to inspire the next generation of aerospace leaders, $1.5 million to Port Jobs for career development for airport workers, and $236,000 to the Highline School District for grants to teachers who help students excel in technical training. In the state of Alaska, Alaska Airlines has made a 3-year, $1 million commitment to the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, an organization with the mission of providing native Alaskan students with the support they need to be successful in higher education and in science and engineering careers.
CVS Health: Commitment to Opportunity Youth
CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States with more than 200,000 colleagues nationwide, has an ongoing commitment to train and hire young people. The company has longstanding partnerships with the U.S. Department of Labor and White House's Summer Jobs+ initiative and was the first employer to launch a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship program for pharmacy technicians. Through that program, CVS Health has placed more than 1,500 colleagues in Registered Apprenticeship career tracks in retail pharmacy and management and has committed to doubling that number over the next five years. Another notable program is Pathways to Health Care. More than one million young people have participated in the program since it began in 2000. Serving students in more than 40 cities across the United States, the program has awarded over $4 million in summer internship wages and continues to be a valuable tool for high-school and college-aged students.
Hilton: Commitment to Opportunity Youth
As one of the largest global hospitality companies in the world, Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) has committed to impacting one million young people by 2019. Through a series of apprenticeships, internships and job opportunities, Hilton is supporting the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative in the U.S. by committing to hire at least 15,000 young people in its offices and owned and managed hotels over the next three years, providing them with a wealth of skills and training to be successful in the world of hospitality and beyond. Visitjobs.hiltonworldwide.com and youth.hiltonworldwide.com for more information.
Microsoft: Commitment to Opportunity Youth
Microsoft YouthSpark, through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, City Year, Junior Achievement, Year Up, and Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, annually connects approximately one million youth in the United States with greater opportunities for education, employment, and entrepreneurship. Through YouthSpark, Microsoft is committed to supporting even more young people in the future, providing opportunities to learn computer science - one of the most in-demand fields-through programs such as Technology, Education and Literacy in Schools (TEALS), which placed technology professionals as volunteer teachers into more than 130 high schools across the country during the past school year.
Starbucks: Commitment to Opportunity Youth
As one of the world's leading youth employers with nearly 80 percent of its workforce being millennials, Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) has committed to hiring at least 10,000 Opportunity Youth in the U.S. over the next three years, many of whom will be eligible to participate in the company's full slate of benefits including the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which provides full tuition reimbursement for an online bachelor's degree from Arizona State University. By hiring these purpose-driven young people, Starbucks believes it can create real pathways to opportunity for these new hires while driving its business forward and strengthening the communities it serves. Starbucks, the Schultz Family Foundation and YouthBuild USA have also launched the Customer Service Excellence Training (CSET) program, which gives students an opportunity to learn customer service skills - based on the same training Starbucks store partners (employees) receive - through classroom and on-the-job experience in retail or café settings.
Taco Bell: Commitment to Opportunity Youth
Taco Bell changes lives and makes a positive impact on the communities it serves. As the employer of more than 1MM teens since its founding, Taco Bell sees today's youth as the heart and soul of its brand. They are the reason why Taco Bell, the Taco Bell Foundation and Taco Bell franchisees have invested $75 million in scholarships, programming and grants to develop the next generation of leaders. Education and skills development are one of the most powerful ways Taco Bell is building communities, and the brand is committed to creating more jobs that are compatible with going to school. Between now and 2022, the brand expects to create more than 50,000 new jobs of which one in four will go to hiring teens, adding to the 175,000 jobs held by team members today. Taco Bell's vision of seeing 100 percent of high school students graduate is supported in part by programs such as Taco Bell's Career Online High School, which the brand launched to provide team members the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and career certificate through the nation's only accredited online school district. Taco Bell team members also have access to a variety of online options, including fully accredited GEDs through the National GED Testing Service; Associate's, Bachelor's or graduate degrees offered at a 40 percent discount through a partnership with Excelsior College; and programs where associates can earn nearly 50 percent of the credits needed to earn a college degree just by working at Taco Bell.
Target: Commitment to Opportunity Youth
Target has always worked to create shared value-doing what is good both for its business and for broader society. Since 1946, Target has given five percent of its profits back to communities, which today equals more than $4 million a week. One of the cornerstones of the company's commitments has long been education. In 2015, Target will achieve its goal of giving $1 billion to education, helping kids reach their full potential while creating an educated workforce and leaders for the future. Target's team is a source of pride for the company, and leaders focus on creating a diverse and engaged workforce supported by an inclusive culture. Target strives to be locally relevant to the guests and communities it serves, which includes creating jobs and inspiring team members to give back. In 2014, Target team members donated more than a million volunteer hours to projects they're passionate about and with organizations that make an impact in the communities where they live and work - and are on track to do the same in 2015.
Walgreens: Commitment to Opportunity Youth
Since its founding as a single store in Chicago in 1901 to its presence today in virtually every demographic community in the country, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) has understood the importance of developing our nation's youth by creating employment opportunities. Through its robust job shadow, internship and employment opportunities for local youth around the country, Walgreens provides exposure to a variety of careers from store management to supply chain to corporate careers, including more than 100,000 hours of training and mentorship to thousands of young people annually. Each year, the company donates more than $1 million to the nation's pharmacy schools to improve diversity among pharmacy students. In addition, high school students can gain Walgreens pharmacy experience through its job shadow program. The company's pharmacy technician training program, which focuses on young people, is accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP). In recent years, Walgreens formalized programs aimed at hiring those in underserved employment populations. Hundreds of young Americans with mental or physical disabilities have found employment at Walgreens in distribution centers and stores through its Retail Employees with Disabilities Initiative (REDI) program. Walgreens also works with a New York youth agency to create internships for those in the foster care system. For more information, visitcareers.walgreens.com.
Walmart and Walmart Foundation Retail: Commitment to Opportunity Youth Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will provide support to this initiative through their Retail Opportunity Initiative, announced in February, 2015, which includes a $100 million investment over the next five years to create meaningful pathways for advancing people - including youth - in the retail sector overall. In addition to helping to support the Aspen Institute in the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will work with local organizations in Chicago and other cities to remove barriers to advancement. The ongoing work includes philanthropic investments in career path mapping, pre-employment training, placement programs, upskilling, and credentialing, along with engagement in cross-sector partnerships such as this one.
How to Engage
For companies interested in joining the effort, please visit www.100kOpportunities.org for more information. For young people interested in participating in the Opportunity Fair & Forum, please visit www.100kOpportunities.org for information about participating agencies.
