Trade union partnerships hold promise for high school students

An Irish-based company, ALISON, provides free, high-quality e-courses to people around the globe in order to help close the gap between education and workplace skills. Particularly focused on providing access to areas where more traditional forms of education and job training are difficult to get, this approach is helping to change lives and the economy for the better.

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.

Brilliant Footsteps International Academy implemented an integrated education model that combines Islamic studies, vocational training, including barbing, calligraphy and culinary arts and hands-on STEM learning. The school uses problem-based, student-led projects to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills, while also focusing on gender inclusion in a region where girls are typically excluded.

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.

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 Youths United for God Global Foundation trains youth in various skills and trades, such as cutting hair, farming and working with computers, to help them become better equipped to secure jobs and income. Training sessions run every three months, and so far over 1,000 youths have been directly impacted by the program, many of which have gone on to forge careers and gain a sense of financial security with their newly-learned skills.

CARE Schools are free, half-public, half-private institutions that provide lessons in both Urdu and English. The schools teach both boys and girls, sometimes in co-ed classes, to promote gender equality and provide girls with equal opportunities in their education and increase their job prospects.

Local organizations such as Mujeres Rurales Argentinas and the provincial Ministry of Agriculture's Gender Cabinet are empowering rural women through artisanal tea production. By offering training programs structured around women's caregiving schedules, creating spaces for gender-inclusive collaboration, and advocating for policy changes, these groups have helped increase women's leadership roles in tea production, as more than half of artisan producers are now women.

The non-profit défi-job offers incarcerated people with permission to leave the semi-open prison for their working hours employment contracts to create new, more fulfilling job opportunities, as well as necessary skills training. The group also accompanies people during their job search to help them find permanent forms of employment. Data has shown that at the end of the contract, 90% of employees have found work in the first or second labor market.

In Des Moines, Iowa, the Evelyn K. Davis Center provides wraparound support to a wide range of populations seeking stable employment. From internet access to financial counseling to job coaching, the center aims to "individualize ... game plans" and empower clients to become self-sufficient.