SkillBuild Colorado Shares in Council on Foundations’ Highest Award for Distinguished Grantmaking

For Immediate Release
Contact:  Paula Gomez Farrell, Ph.D.
(303) 398-7407

Local workforce development initiative is part of a national effort that has been recognized as innovative and groundbreaking

Denver, Colorado (April 27, 2010) – SkillBuild Colorado, one of 22 national sites supported by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, is driving innovative approaches in Denver, Colorado to prepare workers and businesses to succeed in a post-recession economy. Today, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions received the Distinguished Grantmaking Award for Collaboration from the Council on Foundations, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit membership association of some 2,000 grantmaking foundations and corporations.

“This award is a recognition of a track record of innovative investments in the jobseekers, employees, and businesses here in Denver, Colorado,” said Paula Gomez Farrell. “To date SkillBuild Colorado has focused on broadening the group of stakeholders committed to developing strategies for improving employment opportunities for low skilled workers in healthcare, construction/skilled trades and energy.  For the first time, we are bringing philanthropy to the table with government, economic development and education to provide a new perspective on how to create improved opportunities for people most impacted by the economic downturn.”

The Distinguished Grantmaking Award puts the spotlight on an individual or individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of philanthropy. First presented in 1984, this award celebrates those who exemplify the values and practices that the Council promotes and encourages.

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions partners with more than 200 local funders to work closely with employers and workforce leaders from the public and nonprofit sectors to help prepare workers to succeed in a post-recession economy. The National Fund tests how the lessons learned from these groundbreaking pilot projects in workforce development can be applied on a national scale.

“At a time when the Council brings all elements of the philanthropic field together to see ourselves as a movement, there is no better example of leadership than the National Fund for Workforce Solutions,” said Steve Gunderson, President and CEO, The Council on Foundations. “The vision and leadership that has brought together hundreds of funders nationwide in an unprecedented effort to help low‐income Americans build careers and businesses compete, represents our collective work for the future.”

The National Fund is led by nine national investors who work closely with approximately 200 funders in states, regions, and communities nationwide: Annie E. Casey Foundation; the California Endowment; Ford Foundation; John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Microsoft; The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation; The Hitachi Foundation; The Prudential Foundation; and the Walmart Foundation.

“There are approximately 80 million adults in the workforce who fear for their future because they don’t see how they can gain the skills to be valuable in the 21st century economy,” said Barbara Dyer, president and CEO of The Hitachi Foundation and chair of the National Fund. “We have employers that cannot find workers with the kinds of skills they need to propel their businesses forward. Ultimately, it’s a problem for the competitiveness of the nation. It’s the role of philanthropy to create an environment that sparks innovative solutions.”

Five general strategies provide unity to the National Fund approach nationwide, but implementation varies greatly in each community:

1)            Create regional funding collaboratives that bring together government agencies, foundations, and other philanthropic organizations to target financial resources and strategic thinking on creating jobs and careers;

2)            Organize workforce partnerships that create long-term relationships between employers and service providers;

3)            Develop strategies for specific industry sectors, focusing on the sectors that are important to the local economy;

4)            Build career pathways that, practically in a step-by-step fashion, offer entry-level workers and people seeking employment real opportunities for advancement to jobs that pay good wages; and

5)            Align and coordinate the many programs, organizations, and funding sources that, together, make up a community’s approach to preparing people for new careers.

The successful approach of the National Fund can be seen in the experiences of James Ballard of Philadelphia.  Ballard is just completing a program, operated by The Federation of Neighborhood Centers in Philadelphia, that is preparing jobseekers for “green jobs.” The program, part of a National Fund site, is making sure workers have the math, language, and “soft skills” they need to move into training for solar panel installation, weatherization, and foam insulation. In eight weeks his computational math skills increased 4.5 grade levels. “Hopefully, I’ll become an installer,” he says. “I’ll not only do the panels but also the drop down of the wiring from the solar panels to the electricity grids.  Maybe in four or five years I’ll start my own business.”

The Council on Foundations is a national nonprofit association of approximately 2,000 grantmaking foundations and corporations. As a leader in philanthropy, the Council strives to increase the effectiveness, stewardship, and accountability of the philanthropic sector while providing its members with the services and support they need for success.

 

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