Indianapolis, IN – Today Skillful, a Markle Foundation initiative, announced the first of a new suite of training and resources for career coaches to help connect job seekers to good, in-demand job opportunities. Developed with support from Strada Education Network, Ivy Tech Community College, and the state of Indiana, as well as with additional support from Cognizant U.S. Foundation and Microsoft Corp., the new tools will help job seekers in the state and beyond.
Skillful is part of Markle’s Rework America Alliance, working with employers, educators, nonprofits, workforce leaders and others in Indiana to help people get good jobs based on the skills they have or the skills they can learn. The Alliance, a national collaboration of civil rights organizations, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor organizations and educators, is opening opportunities for millions of unemployed and low wage workers to move into good jobs, particularly people of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the current economic crisis. Skillful is contributing resources to the Alliance as it aims to help unemployed people across the country return to the workforce in better jobs with greater career potential.
The new virtual, skills-based training program for career coaches is the first in a suite of training and resources developed to improve the support job seekers can receive from career coaches. This includes access to improved job data insights and tools for clearly articulating capabilities and transferable skills to employers. Career coaches provide a crucial source of support and guidance for job seekers at workforce centers, nonprofit community organizations, and community and training colleges. This training will be provided in Indiana by Ivy Tech Community College and rolled out by the Rework America Alliance to other community-based organizations nationwide to help career coaches more effectively and efficiently serve job seekers at this time of critical need – with further trainings to be added as developed throughout the year.
“We are thankful to have truly outstanding and forward-thinking partners here in Indiana, including the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, Strada and Ivy Tech, that have helped us to create an exceptional program of career coach training in the state,” said William D. Turner, Jr. Executive Director, Skillful Indiana and National Alliance Delivery. “With these new remotely-accessible training modules, we are now better able to support those helping job seekers within our state, and to take this Indiana innovation to other regions.”
“This is transformative work that will help Hoosiers better navigate their career options as the economy changes through and beyond the recovery from the pandemic. Our partnership with Skillful establishes Indiana as a leader in workforce development and training of career coaches,” said PJ McGrew, Executive Director of the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. “The state’s network of career coaches are an exceptional resource for job seekers in Indiana and the ability to connect them with additional training and resources is essential to helping Hoosiers navigate their career options.”
By identifying career coaching as an essential step to economic recovery, and investing in this area, Skillful, Strada, the state of Indiana, and Ivy Tech Community College – together with the Rework America Alliance – are leading the way for the rest of the nation. The Rework America Alliance, which also contributed to the development of the new training course, will make these resources available to career coaches in worker-serving organizations throughout the country.
“A career coach can be the catalyst in helping a job seeker discover their potential and help them attain employment that matches their skills and interests to create a livelihood with opportunities for upward mobility,” said Caroline Dowd-Higgins, Vice President of Career Coaching and Employer Connections, Ivy Tech Community College. “By providing coaches with access to data insights on in-demand jobs locally, and equipping them with effective skills, we are enabling more job seekers to successfully move into careers that will empower them to thrive.”
Organizations that employ career coaches and are interested in accessing this training and other resources, can contact skillsbasedcoaching@markle.org for more information.
For media inquiries, please contact Carrie Gonzalez at cgonzalez@markle.org or 917-705-6531
About Skillful
Skillful is a nonprofit initiative of the Markle Foundation and part of Markle’s Rework America Alliance working with employers, educators, nonprofits, workforce leaders and others to help people get good jobs based on the skills they have or the skills they can learn. The Rework America Alliance, a national collaboration of civil rights organizations, nonprofits, private sector employers, labor organizations and educators, is opening opportunities for millions of unemployed and low wage workers to move into good jobs, particularly people of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the current economic crisis.Skillful is contributing resources to the Alliance as it aims to help unemployed people across the country return to the workforce in better jobs with greater career potential.
The Markle Foundation challenges itself and diverse partners to deploy their varied expertise to identify solutions to critical public problems and achieve systemic change. Today as advanced technology and automation change the very nature of work, Markle’s priority is advancing solutions toward a labor market that will enable workers in America to move into good jobs in the digital economy. For more information, visit www.markle.org.
