About 100 employers, including hospitals, have committed to help front-line workers advance in their career and earn higher wages through President Barack Obama's Upskill Initiative to empower workers with education and training, the president's administration recently announced at a summit on the initiative.
The employers, who employ more than 5 million workers combined, are making this commitment across their businesses, in partnership with 30 national labor unions, and accelerated by new innovative data and tools, according to a news release. As part of this commitment, they will expand access to apprenticeships and on-the-job training; increase uptake of training opportunities by making them cheaper, easier and faster; and clarify what skills workers need to get ahead within their companies.
For instance, Boston-based Partners HealthCare and global healthcare company Grifols are increasing uptake of tuition benefits by partnering with competency-based online programs, like the College for America at Southern New Hampshire University, so tens of thousands of employees can use their benefits online to complete an accredited degree at little or no cost, according to a news release.
Other examples include Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, which is launching an initiative that will provide employees with a clear understanding of what differentiates success at each organizational level, the release reads. Also, Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente is launching a new online career portal that will provide employees and managers with tools, resources and training for skill enhancement and career development.