JPMorgan Chase, the Greater Washington Partnership, and the Education Strategy Group have announced an initiative to expand access for students in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
The initiative, which is called "TalentReady," will focus on helping to meet the region's growing demand for talent.
The expanded initiative builds on the success established in the first phase of TalentReady, which was launched in 2018.
During this period, five K-12 school systems and colleges found or expanded 19 tech-related career pathways to expose more students to the skills needed in the workplace, including developing internships and other work-based learning experiences.
To date, TalentReady has helped 25,000 high school students from Baltimore City, MD, Fairfax County, VA, Montgomery County, MD, Prince George's County, MD, and Washington, D.C. in career pathways that include opportunities to earn college credit and industry-recognized credentials.
ESG has a decade of experience working nationwide to build partnerships between K-12, higher education, and workforce systems to expand quality pathways and drive economic mobility for learners, especially those most traditionally marginalized.
JPMorgan Chase will provide a commitment of $5.3 million to support the TalentReady initiative over the next three years so students get work-based learning experiences such as capstone projects and internships.
This commitment from JPMorgan Chase builds on the firm's $75 million global career readiness initiative and broader efforts to help more young people, particularly those from underserved backgrounds, enter the workforce and compete for quality careers in IT, healthcare, and other high-demand industries.
In the next phase of the initiative, efforts will be made to help ensure that students receive work-based learning experiences such as capstone projects and internships.
Tim Berry, global head of corporate responsibility and chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Region at JPMorgan Chase, said, "The path to powering our communities and unlocking economic opportunity for everyone starts at the local level. Through our investment in the TalentReady initiative, we are expanding our efforts to better prepare students for in-demand, skills-based jobs in the Greater Washington region. Working alongside local partners in the non-profit, education, and business communities, and with engagement from regional leaders like Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, we can create a system that helps students advance their career pathways and support a thriving economy."
One of the essential resources the partnership uses to address these gaps is the Employer Signaling System (ESS), a tool informed by employers and labor market data that helps educators prepare students to fill some of the most in-demand tech jobs.
ESG is also establishing a regional collaboration network, helping to empower initiative education, workforce development, and employer communities to build cross-cutting regional strategies to expand and align pathways.
The new phase of the TalentReady work will also deepen the focus on engaging employers and education leaders across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia to strengthen regional collaboration.
