Innovative New Workforce Partnerships Launch to Close the Opportunity Gap
A new, innovative workforce collaboration is launching to pilot, test, and learn from how text-based wraparound services can improve outcomes for workforce development communities and their alumni. The partnership of Empower Work, a national nonprofit that provides text-based wraparound coaching and resources, with leading local and national organizations including Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM), NPower, Per Scholas, SkillUp Coalition, and Year Up United, soft-launched this fall and is rolling out over the next two years with the generous support of Truist Foundation and GitLab Foundation.
This partnership model is the first of its kind, marking a significant evolution in how workforce development organizations support individuals long after program services. This partnership provides wraparound support for workforce training alumni that allows them to grow at all points in their career pathways.
“In the U.S., a good job is hailed as a pathway to opportunity, yet the reality is that tens of millions of people don’t work in good jobs and even when they do, unexpected hardships can knock them off that path. We’re excited to partner with these creative, impactful organizations to ensure people are supported to build skills, make it into great jobs, and thrive going forward as well,” Empower Work Founder and Executive Director, Jaime-Alexis Fowler shared. “Our hope in the next two years is to demonstrate the scalable power of combining deep human connection with technology that meets people where they are, collectively improving economic and emotional well-being.”
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people across the United States graduate from training, skilling, re-skilling, and other job programs equipped with new tools for success, connections, and apprenticeships, internships, or jobs that provide the foundation for strong economic advancement. However, beyond these programs, people often encounter systemic barriers and ongoing workplace adversity which can deeply affect their lives and stymie opportunity.
This new text-based approach for community and alumni support builds on lessons learned in wraparound services during programs, creating a scalable structure for growing learning and alumni communities that ensures people thrive in their careers and life. In this pilot, the team will learn more about the needs of community and alumni at scale, and the best ways to address these needs.
Steve Lee, CEO of SkillUp Coalition, shared his excitement about the collaboration: “At SkillUp, we are always looking for innovative ways to help people build their careers. We approach all of our work with a learning mindset, and it has been incredibly energizing to test and learn in partnership with Empower Work. We’re already seeing an impact among SkillUp community members as people share back how much the 1:1 coaching support has meant to them.”
"I am personally excited about our partnership with Empower Work at a time when we are expanding our alumni support resources and strengthening alumni engagement, upskilling, and career success as outlined in our 2030 Strategic Plan," shared Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO of NPower. "This collaboration underscores our commitment to supporting graduates with the tools they need to thrive, both personally and professionally. Together, with Empower Work we are providing opportunities for the military-connected individuals and young adults we serve to be more successful and supported in their careers over the long term.”
Caitlyn Brazill, Chief Revenue Officer at Per Scholas, shared: “We were excited to learn about Empower Work’s approach at a convening earlier this year where they were highlighted by JFF as an Innovator to Watch. With a growing alumni community with diverse needs, it’s a priority to provide robust services that we know will make a real difference in helping alumni succeed in the long term.”
“JFF was excited to feature Empower Work’s innovative work in our 2024 report on wraparound support solutions and at our related Racial Economic Equity Summit, where the seeds of this partnership were planted,” said Michael Collins, Vice President at JFF. “This is exactly the kind of collaboration we work to foster through JFF’s Racial Economic Equity Network. We look forward to facilitating more of these critical partnerships and to sharing insights from this work with our growing network, focused on accelerating economic advancement for populations that face systemic barriers to labor market opportunity.”
Empower Work was recognized by Jobs for the Future (JFF) as an Innovator to Watch for removing barriers to advancement. This partnership initiative focuses on helping individuals not only secure employment but thrive and grow in their careers—ultimately fostering long-term economic mobility and lifetime earnings.
Empower Work’s model provides immediate and sustained impact: over 94% of those who use Empower Work’s services report improved mental health immediately following and over 80% report improved financial well-being.
A SkillUp Coalition community member shared: “I had the pleasure of chatting with Sara [my peer counselor], a genuine and attentive individual. These last few decades have been rough for me, the last few years even harder. I cannot thank those who volunteer their time to help people like me enough [...] Attribute what you must to your training, your professionalism is evident, but know that your intent does come through. Your genuineness and calmness can be felt. Thanks.”
The partnership collaboration is being made possible by generous collective investments from Truist Foundation and GitLab Foundation.
“Truist Foundation is proud to partner with Empower Work alongside other leading organizations — many of which are also Truist Foundation partners, to invest in a future where individuals are equipped with both the technical skills and emotional support they need to thrive in their careers and lives,” said Truist Foundation President Lynette Bell. “Empower Work’s collaborative partnership model aligns perfectly with our goal of strengthening the workforce ecosystem, offering creative wraparound services that help bridge the opportunity gap and foster economic mobility.”
Through the shared learnings of this work over the next two years, Empower Work, Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM), NPower, Per Scholas, SkillUp Coalition, and Year Up United will deepen positive outcomes for communities and the wider workforce ecosystem.
“We’re excited to expand our workforce partnerships even further in 2025 onwards and bring this model to more communities,” Fowler shared. “The impact of this work will be far-reaching, and we look forward to seeing the positive changes it brings to workers, their families, their communities, and their futures.”
About Empower Work
Empower Work is a national nonprofit on a mission to create healthy, equitable workplaces where people are valued, supported, and empowered in ways that support their economic mobility, emotional well-being, and career success. To achieve our mission, we fuel change through our direct service, volunteer training and community, and policy and practice change.
Since launching in 2018, Empower Work has supported over 400,000 people navigating complex work challenges with 94% of people reporting better mental health after getting support and 80% reporting improved financial wellbeing.
In research released in the Fall of 2024, four out of five workers across the country are actively looking for work because they are dissatisfied, underemployed, or unemployed. Empower Work is striving to improve the lives of 3M people in the next two years. These innovative partnerships are a cornerstone to reaching that goal.
About our partners
Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM)
Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM) is a nonprofit on a mission to build stable families, a dynamic workforce and vibrant communities. They envision a Houston of boundless opportunities, filled with hope, stability and belonging. For more than 40 years, MAM has helped Houston families move beyond poverty and work toward long-term self-sufficiency through education and training, financial empowerment, and community connection. MAM’s holistic approach focuses on bundled social services with financial stability at the core. Recognizing that financial health is connected to physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being, MAM encourages families to work toward long-term financial goals while accessing critical wrap-around support. From basic needs and disaster recovery to long-term financial goals, MAM invests in more than 15,000 people annually who hope and dream about creating a better future for their families and neighborhoods.
NPower
NPower is a national nonprofit that provides free tech training, support services, and job placement assistance to young adults and military-connected individuals from low-income communities. Since their founding in 2000, they've offered tech fundamentals and advanced career training opportunities to over 10,000 students in 13 cities. NPower's unique approach combines rigorous training, and trauma-informed support services, addressing the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students. Their strength is seeing students of non-traditional backgrounds through pivotal life transitions. The organization empowers students to drive change in their own lives and communities.
Per Scholas
Per Scholas is a nonprofit organization that provides skills training and access to employer networks to individuals often excluded from tech careers. Per Scholas envisions a technology workforce as diverse as the customers it serves. Their mission is to advance economic equity through rigorous training for tech careers and to connect skilled talent to leading businesses.
SkillUp Coalition
SkillUp Coalition is a nonprofit that connects workers with the right tools, resources, and support to make confident career shifts, find quality living-wage jobs, and position themselves for promising career growth without the need for a college degree. Through its cutting-edge technology platform and step-by-step career guidance options, SkillUp has connected more than 3 million workers to career, training, and job support nationwide.
Year Up United
Year Up United is a workforce development organization committed to expanding access to economic opportunity for all young adults by providing business and talent solutions to reshape the world of work. Through Career Pathways, their tuition-free workforce readiness and training program, they equip young adults with in-demand skills and internships at corporate partners that serve as a proven entryway to higher earnings and meaningful careers. For more than 20 years, Year Up United has stewarded the movement to establish skills-first as a private sector norm, serving over 47,500 young adults in partnership with more than 250 companies. Their comprehensive solutions empower young people, advance inclusive hiring practices among employers, and fuel real, lasting change that has a ripple effect across individual lives, businesses, and communities.
About GitLab and Truist
GitLab Foundation
GitLab Foundation was formed by GitLab, Inc. as part of its mission to create a world in which everyone can contribute. When GitLab, Inc. went public in October 2021, it dedicated 1% of its shares to further this aim. This was influenced by the desire to set aside equity for social impact. The Foundation was officially launched in September 2022. The GitLab Foundation’s mission is to improve people’s lifetime earnings through access to opportunities, and a vision of a world in which one million more people can afford a better life.
Truist Foundation
Truist Foundation is committed to Truist’s purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. The Foundation, an endowed private foundation established in 2020 whose operating budget is independent of Truist Financial Corporation, makes strategic investments in a wide variety of nonprofit organizations centered around two focus areas: building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses to ensure all people and communities have an equal opportunity to thrive.