Job Opportunity Investment Network (JOIN)
http://www.joincollaborative.org
The Job Opportunity Investment Network (JOIN) is a public private partnership between philanthropy, government, community organizations and employers. JOIN invests in, evaluates and advocates for best practice efforts that narrow the gap between the region’s low-skilled workforce and the needs of the region’s employers.
Greater Philadelphia is facing parallel workforce crises:
- Employers in the region lack a strong talent pipeline to fill critical jobs
- A majority of adults in the region are participating in the labor force marginally or not at all.
- The underlying cause of these crises is the mismatch between the level of skill required for high-growth jobs and the much lower skill level of many working age adults.
JOIN believes industry-led workforce partnerships offer a solution to Greater Philadelphia’s parallel workforce crises by simultaneously addressing the skill needs of low-income workers and the talent needs of regional businesses. These partnerships form a bridge between employers, social service organizations and job seekers, bringing together numerous employers in the same industry to identify mid-level talent gaps and connect these employers to organizations that can prepare low-skilled adults to fill these positions.
JOIN's strategy has three parts:
- Investment: We invest in industry-led partnerships that prepare low-wage workers with the skills to advance into high-demand, mid-level positions.
- Evaluation: We evaluate the impact of our partnerships, identifying best practices and illuminating opportunities for improvement.
- Advocacy: We advocate for the incorporation of these practices into the public workforce system.