Opprtune
The technology linking skills-based learning and training to employment
Our vision is an equitable distribution of talent in a skills-based economy shaped by the digital revolution. We aim to help Chicago's youth prepare for a changing landscape by starting with career-readiness skill development in High School
We are a multisided platform connecting high school and college aged youth, nonprofit and job training programs, and private sector opportunities. Since youth are learners, we help build 21st skills through a centralized hub of certified learning experiences in career skill development. We curate digital credentials based on a user's past experiences, trending skills from open job descriptions, high touch curriculum from Chicago's nonprofit community, and recommendations from employers. A space for skill tracking combined with credentials recommended before, during, and after the internship or summer job allow for the both employee and employer to make the most of the opportunity.
Educate
Digital creditionals
A curation of IMS Global verified badges and certificates in career readiness and technical skills recommended by employers from our hub and what our market analysis algorithm has identified as trending
opportunity
An opportunity board that contains both private sector jobs and nonprofit summer and afterschool programs with a new skills-based approach tailored to youth
engage
1. Employers can engage with youth and/or nonprofits serving youth before, during, and after the the internship by recommending incentive-based digital creditials from our hub, such as attendance, technical skill development, and more
2. Employees identify & track skills from high touch curriculum in our platform
social
Learn what badges peers are completing; allow for continued contact with employers post program completion
Technology with a social mission for Chicago...
Early onset career skill development
By educating & training youth in Chicago's communities with in-demand skills in high yield internships we can help prepare youth for access into rewarding occupations
Skills-based Learning
Close the skills gap: 71% of corporate recruiters indicated they cannot find applicants with sufficient practical experience. Employers are also noticing a gab between high school and college education and skills needed for employment. Employers can start training our youth before they enter the full-time workforce
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Build skills at any time and at any place online
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Reduce hiring bias through digital credentialing
See how Credly helps IBM create a diverse, inclusive workforce with badges
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Expand pipeline of diverse talent in STEM
Minorities and women are underrepresented in tech. Our platform combines the larger ecosystem of online resources and opportunity, as well as a network of social support, to ensure our talented youth are able to access such opportunity
how it works
1
Opportunity seekers upload resume, badging portfolio, and CPS career plan in private profiles
2
Before the job: Learn & Explore
Trending Skills: curated options of career-readiness training based on what skills are trending in the job market and previous work, badging experience, and recommendations from exciting companies
Opportunity Hub since youth are learners, instead of having a filtering system by occupation, we focus on how skills and strengths can be matched across a variety of different sectors and opportunities.
Based on uploaded profiles, we can recommend opportunities based directly on a job description's requirements (both soft & hard skills)
Example: Jen completed a career exploration badge and learned that Chicago is a hub for digital marketing jobs
Example: Jen has a badge and a certificate in both wordpress and HTML, as well as a previous internship with OSC, where she learned soft skills such as leadership and problem solving ( also received a problem solving badge from her employer), and utilized her computer science skills. She would make a good fit for both the social media and wordpress position that has listed those skills.
3
On the job: Train & Engage - a combination of badging & skill tracking
Skill Up and Skill Search: Badges employers/programs can recommend for on-the-job training of performance
(can be added to private dashboard to incentivize completion)
Skill tracking: a place for interns to keep track of and monitor progress by skills from high touch curriculum providers (Image below contains skills from MHA Labs, After School Matter's curriculum provider)
Example: Jen starts answering questions based on what scholarship providers and future employers will ask
Example: Jen’s accepts the digital marketing position. Her employer finds an Excel badge and a LRNG attendance badge from our hub for the interns to complete
4
After the job: Return to Opprtune & Build Pathways
Example:
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Jen refers back to her tracked skills and portfolio to create her professional resume
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Jen is now in college and will now be able to access jobs for college-level internships during the academic year. She also has a better idea of what she wants to major in from her high school work experience. She learns that with a marketing major she can be creative while using her excel and digital skills
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An employer recognizes the value of her variety of skillsets, and reaches out to her directly on Opprtune for her first full-time job