U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

As the skills required of the workforce continue to change, investing in lifelong learning enables businesses and workers to grow alongside new technologies and innovations. Learn more about #SkillSavingsAccounts in the comments. ⬇️

🏆 Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation proudly presented Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) with the inaugural Excellence in Impact Award to recognize their outstanding leadership in scaling employer-driven workforce development strategies with measurable results. Michigan earned this recognition by making #TalentPipelineManagement the cornerstone of its statewide workforce strategy. The results speak for themselves: - 60+ employer-led collaboratives - 1,500+ employers engaged - 3,100+ credentials earned - 1,800+ Michiganders placed in new jobs across industries This is what it looks like when employers lead and workers win. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eNZuzc-D

Businesses face complex challenges every day. Employer Provided Innovation Challenges, or EPIC, connects local businesses with high school and college students to help solve those problems. Earlier this summer, six student teams from around the country traveled to #WashingtonDC to showcase their creative solutions and out-of-the-box thinking, creating meaningful value for employer partners while gaining hands-on, real-world experience that strengthened their career readiness. Learn more about #EPICLearning: https://lnkd.in/e29dmqCu We are grateful to all of our partners who contributed to this work, including: The College Board, Britebound, Stand Together Trust, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, FCS Innovation Academy, Adrian College, San Clemente High School, Miami Dade College, Braided Futures, Miami Tech Works, San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, and more. Sarah Castro | Jaimie Francis | Abigail Rhim #WorkBasedLearning #CareerReadiness #BusinessSolutions #WorkforceDevelopment #EarlyTalent

Educators: looking for a way to spark civic engagement in your community? 📚 We've teamed up with The College Board to launch a new civics quiz—a great conversation starter for classrooms this fall. Plus, don't miss the chance to win a $250 gift card through our sweepstakes! The #NationalCivicsBee application period opens in September. Start getting your middle schoolers excited now. ⬇️ Take the quiz: https://lnkd.in/eTcYAG2N

"What was once considered a personal or family matter is now understood as a core workforce infrastructure issue.” - Shannon Parker, director of strategic relations at the Business Council of Alabama #Childcare is increasingly recognized as a critical component of workforce and economic stability. Business leaders, policymakers, and childcare providers are stepping up to turn that awareness into action. Through the Early Childhood and Business Advisory Council, founded in partnership with Bipartisan Policy Center, states are advancing practical solutions—such as employer-focused tax credits and expanded childcare capacity—that support working families and strengthen the labor market. Read more: https://lnkd.in/edTYFHsg

With support from Walmart, we brought our community resilience efforts to Bentonville, Arkansas, where nearly 200 leaders from business, government, and nonprofits gathered for our Disaster Resilience Summit to strengthen the public-private partnerships that help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. The conversations focused on the work that matters most on "blue sky days": building trusted relationships, mapping capabilities, and establishing clear roles before the next crisis strikes. "In the end, we all have one goal, and that's to make sure that we're out there saving lives." — Glenda Fleming Willis, senior vice president of operations, Walmart 🔗 Read our recap: https://lnkd.in/eVKNsPst #BuildingDisasterResilience

Across the country, a substantial shift is underway in how communities think about preparing people for careers. For decades, the dominant model of workforce development has been driven by what education and training providers are able to offer: schools design programs, employers are invited as an afterthought, and too many graduates end up with credentials that don’t lead anywhere meaningful. The intentions are good, but the outcomes can fall short. We launched Pathways with Purpose, a competitive grant initiative awarding $295,000 to employer-led consortia committed to strengthening alignment between #K12 education and the real demands of the labor market. And the response was extraordinary—in just five weeks, we received 181 applications from 45 states representing chambers of commerce, industry associations, employer coalitions, and economic development organizations eager to lead this work. That level of interest is a signal in itself: employer-led organizations are not waiting to be invited to the table. They are ready to lead. Read more in this article from our expert Jaimie Francis: https://lnkd.in/eJ5w33im

Right now, the U.S. is facing a critical blood shortage, with less than a one-day supply of type O blood, the most commonly transfused blood type. Every blood type is in short supply. According to the American Red Cross, just three more donors at each blood drive this summer can end this crisis and stabilize the national blood supply. Here are a few ways employers can help: ✅ Promote a local blood drive ✅ Give employees time to donate ✅ Host a new blood drive Read more: https://lnkd.in/eAbHN-GR

Civics literacy is at the core of engaging with our democracy, and it starts with understanding how our government works, how decisions are made, and how each of us can make our voice heard. Through The Civic Trust, we're working to fill gaps in civic knowledge and equip Americans with the tools to participate meaningfully in their communities, workplaces, and government. 🔗 Learn more and test your knowledge at https://lnkd.in/e25w5xKr. #CivicsEducation #Civics