The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation awarded more than $1.5 million on July 8 to five employer-led organizations working to expand career-connected learning opportunities for students in California, Colorado, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia.
The organizations were selected from 181 applicants across 45 states for the foundation’s Pathways with Purpose Through Career-Connected Learning initiative, according to a press release.
Pathways with Purpose reflects the foundation’s broader effort to strengthen connections between education and employment opportunities, including preparing students for a workforce increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI).
The five projects will connect students with employers, industry-recognized credentials, college credit, mentoring, job readiness training, and hands-on experience in sectors including AI, construction, electrical work, advanced manufacturing, health sciences, and maritime trades.
“There’s a real mismatch in this country,” U.S. Chamber Foundation President Michael Carney said. “Employers can’t find the workers they need, and young people can’t find a clear path to the workforce. These groups are closing that gap. They’re putting employers in the same room as educators and students and building the kind of real-world experience that turns a classroom into a launchpad.”
In California, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Foundation will work with employers and education partners to identify the AI skills needed for entry-level positions. The organization will then develop a credential that students can use to demonstrate those skills to prospective employers.
Colorado Succeeds will focus on construction and skilled trades in the Denver metropolitan area. The organization plans to help students earn college credit and credentials tied to employers’ hiring needs.
“Colorado’s employers are ready to help build the next generation of talent, and that work must begin long before students graduate from high school,” said Scott Laband, president and CEO of Colorado Succeeds.
The NC Chamber Foundation will partner with the North Carolina Business Committee for Education to prepare students for electrical industry careers in four regions of the state.
The Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation will work with employers in Montgomery and Warren counties to expand career preparation in advanced manufacturing and health sciences. The foundation said the project is expected to reach about 77,000 students and serve as a model for expansion across Ohio.
The Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce will serve people aged 12 to 24 who are pursuing maritime and shipbuilding careers. Its project will provide credentials, mentoring, and job readiness training, with input from area employers.
Although each project is tailored to local needs, all five share a common goal: helping young people better understand their options, build relevant skills, and move more confidently toward education and careers that offer long-term opportunity, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation said.
The grantees will participate in a national cohort that provides coaching, peer learning, technical assistance, and access to workforce development tools.
The initiative is supported by the Pathways & Workforce Funder Collaborative, a coalition of more than 50 K-12, postsecondary education, and workforce funders. The collaborative focuses on expanding career pathways for people aged 12 to 24 who have historically been marginalized in education and workforce systems.
