CAEL | Truist Foundation’s Career Pathways to Economic Mobility Signature Initiative

The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) is leading a national project funded by the Truist Foundation, "Where It Starts," to improve connections between postsecondary institutions, the financial services sector, and workforce development organizations, to strengthen career pathways to jobs that lead to economic mobility. ("Where It Starts" is a Truist Foundation multi-year initiative designed to create real, meaningful change for entrepreneurs and career-seekers in underserved communities. Truist Foundation partners with local and national nonprofits to build new, innovative programs that break down barriers and open doors for growth and success.)

This six-year project will be offered across five cities to provide adult learners with access to affordable postsecondary classes, connect more job seekers to higher-wage jobs and long-term career opportunities, and encourage financial services organizations to hire more adult learners and set them up for success. CAEL has selected the Charlotte, NC, Memphis, TN, and South Florida regions as three of five locations to implement this initiative and is asking for your engagement.

CAEL's Where It Starts: Build Better Careers Initiative seeks to engage industry leaders, workforce development, and postsecondary education institutions that historically have not developed strategies to collaborate on meeting the needs of 1) people who seek employment or better employment and 2) employers who need to recruit, retain, skill-up, and advance employees, increase diversity, and strengthen equity and inclusion. The initiative will focus on cities where in-demand jobs remain unfilled, workforce organizations, and educational institutions that need to improve collaboration to redefine and strengthen career pathways to employment that lead to economic mobility for all, prioritizing women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) adult learners. Read the press release here.

Bring together key financial services sector partners to better define and map career pathways.

Build capacity with connected and supported career pathways.

Engage local employers to hire, retain, and advance BIPOC and women workers.

Systems change by influencing funding, public and private sector policies and practices, and mindsets.

Workforce Boards

Access to resources such as:
- Additional training programs
- Internship programs
- Data platform
Recognition of national initiatives
Better serve the community

Community-Based Organizations

Success in a coordinated approach to solving complex needs
Recognition as a leader in the region
Creating availability of additional opportunities
Ensure sustainability of the approach

Employers

Have access to more people than traditional talent pools
Access to participate in developing training opportunities to access trained talent and upskill current talent
Raising economic prosperity of the individuals and the community
Removing barriers to accessing talent
Removing barriers to entry points for new talent and advancement for existing employees
Have access to more people than the traditional talent pool
Access to participate in developing training opportunities to access trained talent and upskill current talent
Raising economic prosperity of the individuals and the community

Education & Training Providers

Targeted approach to targeting adult learners where they are
Peer to Peer shared data: accumulation, completion and job placement, and growth
Incentives to build curriculum in alignment with career pathways/competency maps specific to local industry