Verizon and Generation team up to close opportunity gap, expand access to digital skills.

When we launched Citizen Verizon, our responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement, we announced our commitment to prepare 500,000 individuals for jobs of the future by 2030. Yesterday, Verizon laid the foundation to reach this goal by partnering with Generation -- a nonprofit that transforms education to employment systems to prepare, place, and support people into life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible.

This multi-year strategic partnership is aimed at closing the opportunity gap for American workers and expanding access to digital skills. A commitment of over $44 million from Verizon will significantly increase access to a free, technology-focused career training program to help reskill workers.

Most of the funding will help to expand the reach of Generation’s workforce development operation, while the remainder will be provided to JFF, a national nonprofit driving transformation in the American workforce and education systems, which will help with program impact and evaluation.

The reskilling program is designed for workers who are unemployed, underemployed, facing job displacement due to automation, or further challenged by the pandemic. The curriculum will consist of both technical and professional training, and it will focus on aiding vulnerable populations and those facing systemic challenges, giving priority admission to Black and Latinx applicants, women and those who do not have a four-year degree.

Verizon and Generation are working on a global scale to bring the reskilling program to Australia, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK. To learn more about the program and to register for a course, visit: Generation USA | Training and Career Pathways.

Calling all V Teamers: 

As we look to support upskilling and reskilling efforts beyond our walls, there is also a constellation of resources available to Verizon employees on Learning Portal 2.0, including Get Certified where you can access business and technical certification preparation pathways.

Additionally, there are a number of virtual volunteer opportunities where you can provide mentorship and real-world experience to help people chase their professional dreams. Here are a few examples of how you can have an immediate impact by offering your time and skills through our Volunteer Portal

• Lehman College, CUNY: Become a technology mentor to a small business owner impacted by COVID-19.
• Generation UK: Help interested applicants break into the tech sector by interviewing them for a data engineer program.
• GSMA: Volunteer at a virtual training event where young women from Kenya gain critical digital skills and certification in the IT sector.
• Per Scholars: Help under-resourced community members gain employment by practicing their interviewing skills.
• Year Up: Close the Opportunity Divide by helping students prepare for scenarios that they may encounter in the workplace and sharpen their presentation skills.
• Last Mile: Offer your advice to incarcerated women who are eager to gain real-world insights as they prepare to enter the workplace.

“Cutting-edge technology will continue to change how we work and how society operates, and we are committed to ensuring that all communities have the opportunity they need to help advance their skills, their education and their chance for economic prosperity. Partnering with Generation enables us to bring their successful career training program into the homes of thousands of Americans who need it most and who it might not traditionally be available to.” - Rose Stuckey Kirk

V Teamers, click here to join the conversation on VZWeb.