Publications & Toolkits

UBS Group Technology is responsible for developing the applications and systems that make UBS one of the leading global financial services firms. With offices in over 50 countries, the technology function understands that a workforce comprised of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences provides the diverse perspectives needed to drive innovation and develop market-differentiating technology solutions to service its global client base. At the same time, UBS is committed to building a talent pipeline that reflects the gender and ethnic diversity of the communities the firm operates in.

Brookhaven College's industry apprenticeship program leads to specialized training, increased postsecondary credentials, and local business efficiency.

Professional energy services employer partners with technical college to develop high-tech, credentialed heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) talent pipeline.

A Talent Development Solution aggregates many lessons learned from Learn and Earn partnerships. A primary lesson is that Learn and Earn partnerships work. These partnerships serve business interests, enabling employers to build a better-skilled workforce by leveraging the strengths education providers bring to the table. At the same time, these partnerships create valuable opportunities for employees—especially for lowerincome individuals, who often have no choice but to earn a living while they pursue higher education.

A Talent Development Solution, provides a summary of research Corporate Voices conducted the past 24 months identifying the practices, characteristics, and returns of innovative, business-led partnerships between employers and education providers.

In 2006, Rhode Island’s hospitals were competing with and struggling against each other to hire skilled talent from the surrounding communities. The United Nurses & Allied Professionals/Rhode Island Hospital Health Care Education Trust and Women & Infants Hospital pooled their resources and began a health care employment pathway program to respond to the current and projected health care workforce shortages.

Fidelity Investments (Fidelity) is one of the world’s largest providers of financial services, with assets under administration of over $3.5 trillion. The firm is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing, and many other financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals and institutions, as well as through 5,000 financial intermediary firms.

For the past several years, Corporate Voices for Working Families has identified and promoted innovative Learn and Earn partnerships across the country. These partnerships between business and education providers help bridge the skills gap for employers while encouraging and/or supporting current and future employees’ attainment of postsecondary credentials with labor market value — the most significant benchmark for achieving economic sustainability. Learn and Earn partnerships are talent development models that provide a real return for leading companies.

Research on education and skills levels of employees and jobs available in the future is clear. Recent projections by The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce indicate, by 2018, the economy will experience 47 million job openings, two-thirds of which will require some postsecondary education or training. Predictions indicate that there will not be enough people qualified to fill three million of these jobs, jobs which require at least a two-year associate’s degree.

In this report, Corporate Voices for Working Families investigates why some companies invest significantly in workforce readiness for their lower-skilled and entry-level workers. Extensive research in the field demonstrates that when companies support education and training, they generally invest more heavily in management programs and industry specific training than in shoring up the basic skills of their newest employees.