As recovery from the COVID-19 crisis gains momentum, millions of displaced workers remain unsure of what their futures hold or whether their jobs will return. Meanwhile, the U.S. workforce system continues to serve as a launching pad for workers navigating important decisions about life, learning, and employment, and without career stability, many workers find themselves without clear next steps.

Several workforce organizations are seizing this opportunity. They are expanding their view of what’s possible, forging partnerships with both domestic and international technology companies to integrate cutting-edge job training programs that put people back to work quickly in careers that pay a living wage.

JFF, New Profit, XPRIZE, and MIT Solve are working together alongside six leading workforce partners in the Future of Work Grand Challenge, a set of equity-focused competitions to generate bold ideas and innovative new training approaches to help displaced workers rapidly build new skills and move into high-wage careers. This joint effort is an important step toward modernizing the American workforce system to better adapt to the changing ways Americans learn, work, and earn in the post-pandemic environment.

In a new six-part “Meet the Cities” series, XPRIZE profiles each regional workforce organization and their impact on communities across the country.

Each local site draws upon its unique partnerships, influence, and expertise within its region to connect technology teams with employers that will inform the development of training solutions that reflect real-time local or regional labor market demand. The organizations are also responsible for recruiting participants into each training field test.