The ways in which we work, learn, and live have become knitted together by a slew of digital tools and virtual environments.

Yet the systems and strategies we use to serve jobseekers entering the public workforce system remain largely unchanged despite an urgent need for innovation in this tumultuous time. The workforce system has reached a crossroads and, today, a handful of workforce organizations are expanding their view of what’s possible by forging partnerships with 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 have stepped up to modernize the American workforce system by organizing the Future of Work Grand Challenge, a set of equity-focused competitions whose goal is to generate bold ideas that will lead to innovative new ways to help displaced workers rapidly build new skills so they can move into high-wage careers.

New Profit announced 15 teams for the Future of Work Grand Challenge. This announcement marks the beginning of the next phase focused on the implementation of the selected solutions to rapidly reskill 25,000 workers into higher-wage jobs, and equip influential workforce boards with vetted tools to help get Americans back to work.

Over 1,200 teams from 26 countries submitted solutions to the Future of Work Grand Challenge. XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling selected ten qualified teams for round two, asking teams to demonstrate the effectiveness of rapid training and reskilling solutions for individuals most vulnerable to employment loss in the United States. Solve selected an additional five winning teams in the Reimagining Pathways to Employment in the U.S. Challenge.

For the Grand Challenge, JFFLabs, an innovation and market-facing team at JFF, is leading engagement with the American workforce system by helping to create technology implementation strategies between workforce organizations and job-training solution teams, evaluating them for effectiveness, and scaling them through partnerships with future-focused workforce boards.