January 17, 2025
JFF is collaborating with The PwC Foundation to support a cohort of 10 exemplary public community and technical colleges to expand and scale effective programs that connect learners to paid work-based learning and quality jobs.
JFF and The PwC Foundation are collaborating to support a cohort of 10 exemplary public community and technical colleges in accelerating innovative programs that have demonstrated success in connecting learners to paid work-based learning opportunities and quality jobs. The goal is to serve all learners and to close outcomes gaps for learners who face barriers in our education and workforce systems, including Black and Latine learners, women of all backgrounds, learners from low-income households, and first-generation college students. Through direct funding and technical assistance, JFF and The PwC Foundation are strengthening and scaling existing programs aligned with a variety of strategies, including apprenticeship and work-based learning, career navigation services and supports, and short-term credentials that lead to paid employment.
Our goal is to:
By participating in this initiative, these colleges have the power to not only transform the lives of their students but also to contribute to a national movement to strengthen and scale effective workforce and education strategies.
Community and technical colleges play a critical role in driving economic mobility for learners and the communities they serve. However, they often face additional hurdles when designing and implementing work-based learning (WBL) opportunities and other strategies to expand pathways to high-wage, high-growth jobs.
Research shows the incredible impact that paid internships and other work-based learning opportunities can have on students in terms of access to quality jobs and connection to labor market opportunity, but we also know that not everyone has equal access to these opportunities. For example, Black and Latine learners, as well as women, low-income, and first-generation learners, are less likely to experience paid internships and other WBL opportunities, and data on participation in these opportunities are limited. The removal of barriers to upward economic mobility is vital for the sustainable growth and development of the community college to career pipeline and to realizing the economic potential of our communities.
Community and technical college partners were selected following a competitive RFP process that occurred between November 2024 and January 2025 which attracted proposals from 127 institutions throughout the country.
Participating colleges receive a comprehensive package of support designed to accelerate and amplify impact:
For more information, contact projectaccess@jff.org. As materials from the project are shared externally, they will be available from this webpage.
JFF project team members (not pictured) also include: Mara Lockowandt, Tia Kim, Phoenix Asifa, and Erin Bowes
The PwC Foundation supports the academic and career success of historically underrecognized students. Through strategic investments in solutions that scale career readiness at postsecondary institutions, The PwC Foundation is helping empower students to overcome challenges, persist through their studies, and pursue choice-filled lives.
To help address the opportunity and employment gap, the PwC U.S. firm committed $125 million to support a more equitable future for 25,000 Black and Latino/Hispanic college students to prepare for and begin their careers. Focusing on students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and community colleges, PwC is providing access to high-demand digital and career readiness training and upskilling, mentorship, and pathways toward the start of their careers.
