SkillUp
SkillUp
SkillUp is a coalition of education and training nonprofits that provides an online repository of free self-paced career exploration resources.
What This Includes
Skills addressed: Communication, Navigating & Using Information, Digital Literacy, Leadership & Initiative
Career Path Exploration
- Career pathways questionnaire to identify jobs of interest
- Free and low-cost training programs that match users’ career goals
- Career exploration tools include “Day in the Life” job descriptions and videos
Coaching and community (free and fee-based)
- Small group coaching sessions with expert career coaches on topics such as resume writing and interview tips
- Social communities allow for networking and best practice sharing with other job seekers
Financial support
- Eligible participants can apply to receive up to $1,000 from the SkillUp Together Fund towards their upskilling journey (for approved training providers)
Job opportunities
- Job posting catalog lists opportunities within a 10- to 200-mile radius of preferred location
Key Takeaways
- SkillUp is best suited for those working independently on career exploration and planning, in a workforce development, adult education, or higher education setting focused on career preparation and skill building.
- Many referrals are for free training, but there are tuition requirements for some.
- Localized training connections are currently available in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Florida, Louisiana, and Nevada, with plans to expand to other metropolitan areas.
- Free digital skill training is offered through community partners such as Google, Goodwill, and GFC Global Learning, in several areas including email, Google Suites, and MS Office.
- Worker Advisory Board helps inform and guide outreach and projections in COVID-impacted labor markets.
- Additional offerings include an email newsletter with personalized content and job posting update and podcasts on a variety of workplace, industry, and skill topics.
The COVID-19 pandemic created the highest unemployment rates since the Great Depression, so the SkillUp Coalition was launched in July, 2020, to address the needs of America’s laid-off and furloughed workers through access to the training and employment opportunities they need to secure a place in the economy of the future. SkillUp helps workers find free and low-cost career and training resources to get back to work quickly. Its non-profit coalition includes more than 60 training and education providers, tech firms, employers, and philanthropies, all dedicated to supporting upskilling needs.
Communication
Digital Literacy
Leadership & Initiative
Navigating & Using Information
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