SkillUp Coalition Receives $1.5 Million Grant From Truist Foundation To Develop Remote Jobs Catalog

SAN FRANCISCO, February 14, 2023 /3BL Media/ - SkillUp Coalition, a national collaboration of nonprofits, training providers, and employers, today announced a $1.5 million grant from Truist Foundation to develop a remote jobs catalog. The jobs catalog aims to surface thousands of highly-quality, remote jobs, particularly for job seekers in rural areas.

"It's undisputed that remote work is here to stay. But if we're honest, the benefit will largely accrue to those with the means, opportunity, and pedigree (i.e., a college degree) to explore remote work,” said Steve Lee, Executive Director, SkillUp. “The important question is how do we up the ante; how do we provide access to remote work for historically marginalized populations, and specifically, for job seekers in rural communities? That's what SkillUp's remote jobs catalog – supported by Truist Foundation – aims to do. For rural areas, especially those in historically distressed regions, this presents the chance to reshuffle the traditional economic development deck. Those who live in areas that have not traditionally participated in remote work opportunities will be able to cast a wider net when job seeking, making previously unattainable employment a possibility. In short, remote work has the opportunity to level the playing field between rural and urban areas when it comes to high-paying and high-skilled work."

With U.S. job openings reaching 11 million in December 2022, more and more employers are turning to remote-based opportunities to bring in new talent, particularly in the fields of business, tech, and healthcare. Searches for remote digital jobs increased in urban areas during the pandemic, and the gap in interest between rural and urban counties shrunk to just 30 percent of what it was pre-pandemic. The percentage of job searches for remote digital jobs in small urban and rural counties increased by 64 percent between February 2020 (pre-pandemic) and February 2022 (to 72 percent in February 2022, up from 44 percent two years earlier).

“Truist Foundation is dedicated to building career pathways to economic mobility for systemically disadvantaged workers, including women and people of color without college degrees or living in rural areas,” said Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. “We are proud to invest in programs, like SkillUp’s remote jobs catalog, that remove barriers and create a more equitable employment ecosystem for all. This new tool will provide workers access to resources they need to attain high-quality jobs, while simultaneously offering an untapped talent pool for businesses across the country.”

The to-be-developed remote jobs catalog will leverage the existing SkillUp platform, which has supported more than 1.3 million workers since its launch in July 2020. SkillUp currently identifies over 30 gateway occupations – jobs that don't need a 4-year degree, pay a good wage, and unlock pathways to high-opportunity careers. SkillUp then connects job seekers to a quality, vetted training catalog of more than 900 regional and national short-term training programs (12 months or less) that align with in-demand career fields. Over 500 training programs can be completed online or in hybrid environments and more than 140 programs are offered at no cost. The SkillUp ecosystem also provides career exploration, 1:1 and group career coaching, job connections, and resources to support workers at any stage of their career journey.

The new remote-based job catalog is expected to be released by Labor Day 2023. If you are a training provider, employer, technology & service provider, or nonprofit interested in joining SkillUp, please visit www.skillup.org/partners/.

About SkillUp Coalition

Founded in July 2020, SkillUp Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects workers with the right tools, resources, and support so they can make confident career shifts, find quality living-wage jobs, and position themselves for promising career growth. Since its founding, SkillUp has connected 1.3 million workers to career, training, and job support throughout the country.

The coalition brings together over 90 leading organizations including training and education providers, technology developers, policymakers, employers, and philanthropies. In addition to its national reach, SkillUp operates local partnerships in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Florida, Louisiana, Northern Nevada, Philadelphia, New York City, Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, and Dallas.

SkillUp proudly advocates for an affordable, equitable, upskilling ecosystem that ensures every worker has high-opportunity employment. For more information, please visit www.skillup.org or follow on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

About Truist Foundation

Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at Truist.com/Purpose/Truist-Foundation.

Media Contacts:

Desiree Jewell, VP of Marketing & Communications, SkillUp: desiree.jewell@skillup.org 
Kristen Fraser, Truist: media@truist.com