ETS Solutions, Jobs for the Future Labs, and AstrumU Partner To Transform Workforce Opportunities for 10M+ Skilled Career Seekers
July 25 2024 - 7:30AM
Business Wire
The new initiative aims to put skills to work
for 10M career seekers from communities with limited access to
critical services
ETS Solutions, serving governments, employers, and credentialing
organizations within ETS, a global education and talent solutions
organization; Jobs for the Future (JFF) Labs, the innovation arm of
JFF, a national education and workforce development nonprofit
focused on scalable equitable economic advancement; and AstrumU, a
leading skills verification company with tools to enable the skills
economy, have announced a collaborative initiative aiming to put
skills to work for 10 million career seekers. With the chief goal
to change the economic mobility trajectory of people from
communities with limited access to critical services, the group
will lead and conduct outcomes-based research on individualized
career seekers' journeys, providing a direct view into today's
diverse talent pipeline for employers and institutions to drive
greater impact.
“The future of work is here,” said Michelle Froah, Global Chief
Marketing and Innovation Officer, SVP of Corporate Solutions at
ETS. “We know that the talent of today and the jobs of tomorrow
need a seamless path so career seekers have access and opportunity
to secure the jobs that fit their in-demand skill sets. By putting
the power in employers’ and career seekers' hands, we’re powering
human progress with proven measurement expertise, and robust,
innovative talent solutions.”
The initiative will revolutionize economic advancement by
connecting individuals to quality jobs through translation of
skills. Together, ETS Solutions, Jobs for the Future’s innovation
arm JFFLabs, and AstrumU are tackling the economy’s $8.5T talent
shortage through enabling the transparency of an individual’s
skills. By combining ETS’s assessment and research expertise with
AstrumU’s AI-backed skills verification platform, the outcome of
this work will result in the creation of verified skills profiles
to enhance the success of the individual, education organizations
and employers across the ecosystem.
David L. Steward, Founder and Chairman of World Wide Technology
and Chairman of AstrumU said, “Talent is distributed equally,
opportunity is not. That is true in rural America and in our urban
centers. This partnership reflects our joint pledge to make talent
and opportunity equal for all and improve workforce readiness
across the nation. For me personally this reflects my personal
commitment to finding an eternal return on investment in the spirit
of, ‘To whom much is given, much is required.”
JFFLabs will lead the collaborative research and delivery
process to unlock skills-outcomes insights that drive sustainable
change. As the innovation arm of JFF, JFFLabs focuses on AI for the
future of work, digital credentials, and innovations in capturing
and translating skills. JFFLabs shares JFF’s North Star goal of
helping 75 million people facing systemic barriers secure quality
jobs by 2033. In partnership with ETS and AstrumU, the initiative
will develop a new class of assessments and technology
infrastructure to support a skills-based economy. JFFLabs will act
as an intermediary across national networks, engaging employers,
workforce leaders, national education providers, investors, and
entrepreneurs to create a strong foundation for this
partnership.
“We're committed to supporting the millions of people who have
some college education but no degree, by leveraging new models and
cutting-edge technology. Our JFFLabs team seeks to scale solutions
for the many learners who are first-generation college students, or
are learning while caring for dependents or working. Many also face
major obstacles like holds on college transcripts due to financial
challenges with paying tuition,” said Maria Flynn, CEO, JFF.
“Empowering 10 million learners to take control over their
educational and work records will foster continued learning and
career advancement, ensuring they have the tools to succeed in a
rapidly changing economy."
About ETS
ETS is a global education and talent solutions organization
enabling lifelong learners to be future ready. We advance the
science of measurement to build the benchmarks for fair and valid
skill assessment. We are committed to powering human progress by
promoting skill proficiency, empowering upward mobility and
unlocking more opportunities for everyone, everywhere. Our
assessment products – including the TOEFL, TOEIC, GRE, and Praxis
Assessments – as well as our innovative solutions and subsidiaries
help 50 million people each year to clarify their strengths and
find opportunities for growth in education, work and beyond. We
continue to operate around the world, with offices in 25 locations
and operations in 200 countries and territories. www.ets.org
About Jobs for the Future
Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S.
education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic
advancement for all. We do this by designing solutions, scaling
best practices, influencing policy and action, and investing in
innovation. As JFF’s innovation arm, JFFLabs drives innovation by
providing market insights, incubating solutions, and investing in
companies. The JFFLabs team fosters strategic partnerships with
innovative technology providers, community business partners, and
investors. jff.org
About AstrumU
AstrumU is the world’s leading skills verification company with
an innovative AI data platform that enhances career opportunities
by leveraging educational experiences along with learned and
working skills. This data equips individuals with a Verified Skills
Profile and Recommendations that enables them to maximize their
strengths, providing recommendations toward opportunities that
align with their passions and goals. This data also gives
forward-thinking organizations a set of integrated Skills
Measurement Tools to enable talent optimization, continued learning
and career mobility at an individual level, delivering a greater
return on education (ROE). AstrumU is dedicated to enabling a
skills-based economy that levels the playing field for individuals,
empowers education institutions with data and serves employers,
government and enterprises to understand and support their people.
https://astrumu.com/
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240724015068/en/
Kristen Mitchell, ETS – kmitchell002@ets.org
Jessica Denham, AstrumU – jessica.denham@astrumu.com Kria
Sakakeeny, JFF - ksakakeeny@jff.org