Funding to help Genesys Works expand technical skills training in the Bay Area and Chicago
HOUSTON, TX (October 7, 2020) – Genesys Works, a national youth workforce development program for promising high school students and diverse talent pipeline for top U.S. employers, has received a $250,000 grant from Salesforce. The funding will support the expansion of Genesys Works’ Bay Area and Chicago programs.
“As employers adapt to an increasingly competitive and digital economy, the disparity between what is taught in the classroom and what students need to know to be successful in the workplace continues to widen,” said David Williams, CEO of Genesys Works. “Support from Salesforce will give our students access to the social capital and resources that will give them a chance to earn the careers and long-term stability they imagined.”
In June, Genesys Works’ Bay Area program used a portion of funding to pilot a unique training program with Golden Gate University (GGU), the national nonprofit’s first college partnership. GGU provided Genesys Works students participating in its eight-week technical skills training program with instruction in business and data analytics. Students who successfully completed the course, which was delivered virtually due to coronavirus, gained college credits that can be applied to GGU and transferred to numerous other colleges across California as well as a micro certification in Data Analytics from GGU that could be added to their LinkedIn profiles.
Funding from the grant will also support the expansion of Genesys Works’ coding track training program offered to meet the needs of Chicago’s growing tech workforce. This training experience will ensure Chicago-area students have the skills necessary to work as entry-level mobile app development employees long before they graduate high school or earn a college degree.
“The mission of Genesys Works is critical in ensuring an inclusive workforce of the future, which is even more important during a difficult and uncertain job market,” said Jennifer Stredler, VP of Workforce Development at Salesforce. “Through our partnership with Genesys Works, we’ve been able to support the next generation of young adults with meaningful career experience and help contribute to a diverse talent pipeline.”
Salesforce has been a key partner of Genesys Works since it hired its first Genesys Works intern in 2013. Since then, Salesforce has hosted and mentored more than 100 interns, donated 2,395 volunteer hours, and invested more than $3M in helping Genesys Works bridge the gap between talent and opportunity and create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce.
Since 2002, Genesys Works has launched the careers of nearly 8,000 high school students in tech and business operations—most of whom are Black or Hispanic, low-income and first-time college-goers—and served as a unique talent pipeline for top employers in the Bay Area, Chicago, Houston, New York, Washington, D.C. and the Twin Cities.
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About Genesys Works
Genesys Works provides pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities through skills training, meaningful work experiences, and impactful relationships. Our program consists of eight weeks of technical and professional skills training, a paid year-long corporate internship, college and career coaching, and alumni support to and through college and career. Our goal is to empower students with a pathway out of poverty and into professional careers, creating a more productive and diverse workforce in the process. Since its founding in 2002, Genesys Works has grown to serve thousands of students annually in Houston, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington’s National Capital Region and New York. To learn more, visit genesysworks.org.
