$100,000 Grant Challenge Highlights “Skills-Friendly Cities”

The Global Business Coalition for Education has launched the Big Ideas, Bright Cities Challenge to encourage youth-serving nonprofits, companies and regional governments to work together to build skills for young people in the U.S. The competition will award $100,000 to the winner and an assortment of grants to nonprofits that develop innovative ideas to train young people to participate in the workforce.

The initiative helps cities across the U.S. strengthen career readiness and youth employment programs that help young people learn skills to enter meaningful careers. The initiative is made possible by support from Dell Technologies and Deloitte.
Along with the prize for the winner, the Challenge will award grants for 15 finalists plus pro-bono business support and the opportunity to join a network of Skills-Friendly Cities that offers training and a community incubator program.

Now in its second year, the initiative addresses an urgent need: 4 million young Americans are not in school or employed. Millions more are underemployed. Yet across all industries and sectors, many businesses struggle to develop a skilled workforce.

“We want to encourage youth-serving nonprofits, cities, companies, and colleges to show how these millions of young people can sharpen their skills to get good-paying jobs,” said Justin van Fleet, executive director of the Global Business Coalition for Education, a movement of businesses committed to ending the global education crisis.
Van Fleet added, “Our sponsors, Dell Technologies and Deloitte, are providing a model of how businesses can make a lasting difference for the next generation of workers.”

Judges are looking for collaborations that involve government, youth-serving nonprofits, education institutions, and businesses. Applications are due by June 22, 2023 July 21, 2023 (Extended Deadline!)The judges will invite the best projects that show innovative, sustainable, youth-focused ideas that increase skills and employment opportunities into a year-long community of practice for training and guidance on scaling these bold ideas.

The Big Ideas Bright Cities Challenge provides local nonprofit leaders the opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading companies and organizations, including businesses focused on digital transformation. Judges will select winners based on the 10 Standards for Creating Skills-Friendly Cities. Applicants must show collaboration among nonprofits, city leaders, young people, higher education institutions and businesses.

“A ‘skills-friendly’ city does more than just train its workforce,” said Maia Wagner, director global programs and community engagement at Dell Technologies. “It cultivates an ecosystem of technology, education and community support that sets its people up for future success. We are proud to support this holistic initiative that drives innovation at the community level.”

In announcing The Big Ideas, Bright Cities Initiative, the Global Business Coalition for Education, a nonprofit group, cited demands for skilled people in all parts of the country.

“Deloitte is proud to support the Global Business Coalition for Education in its commitment to supporting youth and providing the skills and resources they need to help them succeed in the workforce,” said Kwasi Mitchell, chief purpose officer at Deloitte US. “Programs like this are essential to help remove systemic barriers that can stand in the way of opportunity so we can help create a more equitable world where everyone has the ability to reach their full potential.”

In 2022, judges selected the Grand Prize Winner, Action Greensboro (NC), which received a $100,000 grant. The runners-up, Sidekick Education in Madison (WI) and Orlando Community Youth & Trust (FL), each received a $10,000 grant.

Ten additional finalists each received smaller grants to support their work. All received training and guidance through the incubator program.

Learn more at https://skillsfriendlycities.org

About the Global Business Coalition for Education: We are a movement of businesses committed to ending the global education crisis.

About Dell Technologies: Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) helps organizations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the data era.

About Deloitte: Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

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Note: Source for unemployment number: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/12/18/making-a-promise-to-americas-young-people/