Interested in bringing the Skills Model to your city or region? Please contact Jason Smolka, Director of Site Replication, at jsmolka@skillsforamerica.org.

Skills is seeking new nonprofits looking to add or enhance their jobs-first workforce approach in their community. Deploying a train-the-trainer model, Skills will provide the consultative and technical support required to deliver on hiring needs for employers and connect more job seekers to quality jobs. Specifically, Skills is looking to partner with organizations who would like to (a) embed the model into their current workforce initiatives, (b) build out a net new demand-driven workforce function within their existing organization, or (c) launch a new, jobs-first organization within the larger workforce ecosystem of a city or state. Intensive assessment, planning, training, and consultation will be conducted in the first phase of partnership with ongoing quality assurance, thought partnership, employer introductions, and support delivered as part of the Skills national network. 

Skills is offering participation stipends for organizations selected to explore a partnership. This funding will be used to compensate each organization for their time to explore and evaluate the feasibility of a potential partnership and to create a project plan and budget together. 

Upon conclusion of a three-month period of exploration of partnership, Skills and the organization will determine whether to move forward with a formal partnership. 

Partners who join the national Skills network receive the following value: 

• A network of over 100 national employer partners in diverse industries

• Ability to short-cut learnings using Skills’ data and experience

• Close the opportunity gap for underserved communities and dramatically increase placements for under and unemployed jobseekers 

• Access to robust data, tracking and evaluation tools at a national and hyper-local level

• Join a network of Skills’ sites with a similar mind-set and share best practices.

Partners will also receive the following services: 

• White-glove, consultative services and thought partnership services to implement and drive a jobs-first approach in your city. 

• Staff training from Skills on the proven approach to business development, client services, sourcing talent beyond the federal workforce system, building diverse talent pipelines, designing career pathways for employers, aligning community partnerships, data collection and more.

• Support with local fundraising efforts to launch and sustain the work overtime.