How unemployed Californians launched new careers in a pandemic with 9 weeks of training

Women Rising for Africa is training women to become boda boda taxi drivers, teaching them the necessary skills to enter the male-dominated industry and gain financial independence. The organization enrolls the women in defensive riding, road safety, self-defence, financial literacy and first-aid classes to equip them when entering the business. Since 2022, the group has trained 90 women riders.

ACCESS Development Services trains women to drive electric auto rickshaws, providing them with marketable skills that help them earn a living independently. The all-women Pink City Rickshaw Company employs the women to provide tours throughout the city and has since trained over 200 women.

The Youngstars Foundation shares booklets with young girls of stories about women who have succeeded in their careers to inspire them to find a new sense of confidence and establish their own ambitious career goals. Between 2017 and 2019, 5,000 booklets were distributed to 4,500 young girls across 36 states. The Foundation also has an online module for the program, which over 18,000 young women and girls have signed up for.

Employment programs that provide extra benefits such as paid training, books, childcare, and rent incentives allow people to switch to jobs in fields that pay living wages. Sacramento’s Digital UpSkill and Jobs Plus are two examples of programs that provide opportunities for those who need the extra support.

Clubhouse Atlanta provides "transitional employment" services to people whose mental health poses obstacles to finding and keeping a job. Clubhouse staff serve as intermediaries with employers, not only asking employers to hire Clubhouse members but also learning the job requirements in order to train the members themselves. Staff also fill in for members if they are out sick. By relieving employers of the risks of an unreliable or hard-to-train employee, the Clubhouse has helped members find jobs that can lead to a more stable, productive life.

MatchIT helps prepare skilled immigrants for jobs in fields where Sweden has a shortage of labor. Highly educated immigrants are provided with a 22-week training in programming skills, Swedish language classes, and 10-week internships. The program is aimed at filling a need in Sweden while helping immigrants better integrate into a xenophobic society.

A workforce development initiative, PowerCorpsPHL, pays participants to learn skills and gain hands-on experience for jobs that offer long-term career opportunity in the field of environmental sustainability. Participants generally have criminal records or have been in the foster care system. In addition to job training and education, PowerCorpsPHL also provides services such as mental health counseling, securing childcare, navigating SNAP and AmeriCorps tuition benefits and helping with paperwork. The program helps 92 percent of participants secure either a job or post-secondary education.

Sweden has, and continues, to receive a lot of asylum seekers, leading to the need for successful integration of these new immigrants. Certain programs have been developed, such as one that when completed asylum seekers will be able to gain employment faster, or others that help young immigrants understand their new culture.

Nonprofits Manufacturing Renaissance and Youth Crossroads provide vocational training that Chicago's public schools have largely abandoned, particularly in disinvested communities. Manufacturing Renaissance runs free seven-week metalworking cohorts that include stipends, tools, job placement support, and an alumni network, and has trained more than 1,200 young adults since 1982. Youth Crossroads offers multiple workforce tracks, including HVAC certification and paid internships, and 88% of trade program graduates report feeling prepared to enter the workforce.

Electric Boat's "The Boat for NEXT GEN" program partners with Westport High School, CCRI and New England Tech to provide juniors and seniors with hands-on exposure to various trades through twice-weekly after-school sessions. Students who complete the program can apply for paid training positions that lead directly to full-time employment with comprehensive benefits at Electric Boat's submarine manufacturing facilities.