Employers Team Up to Connect Laid Off Workers in the U.S. to New Skills, Higher Wage Careers
G
uild Education, in collaboration with a group of the nation's largest employers and leading academic institutions, announced the launch of Next Chapter.
Built by Guild, Next Chapter will enable displaced workers who have recently filed for unemployment to identify new roles with employers and sectors that are hiring as a result of increased demand.
Employers who join the platform can also provide laid-off or furloughed workers with access to reskilling programs, as well as hands-on coaching as they navigate toward growing industries, such as tech, healthcare, customer success and the skilled trades.
We're witnessing the tale of two labor markets. Food service, beauty, and hospitality are fueling unemployment rates not seen since the Great Depression, said Rachel Carlson, CEO of Guild Education. At the very same time, employers are grappling with the seemingly endemic skills gaps in healthcare, supply chain and skilled trade fields. Next Chapter helps bridge that gap and works with employers who are stepping up to help workers navigate the labor market riptide.
The core of the platform is a collaboration between employers adversely impacted by the crisis, and healthcare, supply chain, and tech employers that are hiring. Unlike traditional outplacement services, which were designed to place workers in jobs similar to the ones they left, Next Chapter was created to help workers make the leap to higher wage roles with access to education and training resources that enable them to prepare to transition into new careers or industries.
Rapid reskilling and access to education will be more important than ever as we emerge from this crisis, said Drew Holler, Walmart's Senior Vice President of Associate Experience and HR Operations. Next Chapter will play a crucial role in matching Americans who are suddenly out of work with future proof skills so they can transition to in-demand jobs.
A recent survey from the nonprofit Strada Education found that 57% of Americans in the workforce are worried they will lose their jobs and 33% believe that if they lose their jobs, they will need additional education and new skills to find a comparable one.
Unemployment rates are eclipsing anything we've seen in the past by a substantial margin, leaving millions of Americans without a means of income or the skills needed to find work outside of their field, said Jessica Lindl, Vice President and Global Head of Education, Unity Technologies. Developing skills in software and emerging technologies can provide a pathway to careers where demand currently outpaces supply. With Next Chapter, we are not only able to help Americans reskill themselves, but will also give them access to top-notch training and support to transform their careers for the better.
The employment crisis is staggering, but there may be a silver lining for displaced workers, said Frank Britt, CEO of Penn Foster. This is about rewiring the labor market in a way that enables workers to move from lower wage jobs into middle skills careers that will be higher paying, and far more resilient.
From the beginning, TTEC has upheld the philosophy that positive employee experiences result in positive customer experiences, said Ken Tuchman, CEO of TTEC. In the difficult COVID-19 financial climate we face, thousands of companies have woken up and are seeing how compassion for employees affected by layoffs and furloughs directly impacts how customers experience brands. At no other time has our purpose to deliver humanity to business been more important than now.
For workers lacking the skills to jump into higher wage roles, Next Chapter will offer accelerated retraining programs through partner institutions, including Southern New Hampshire University, Purdue University Global, Penn Foster, Pathstream, and Brandman University. Displaced workers can pursue programs like Facebook's Digital Marketing Certificate or the Salesforce Administration Career Certificate, offered through Pathstream, as well as skilled trades programs, in demand job fields like plumbing, electrical trades, or appliance repair, through Penn Foster.
For additional information, visit nextchapter.guildeducation.com.
✔️ Employers Team Up to Connect Laid Off Workers in the U.S. to New Skills, Higher Wage Careers
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