A group of Seattle-based companies including Microsoft, Starbucks, Alaska Airlines, and Porch today helped launch a new initiative that aims to create 100,000 jobs for 16-to-24 year-olds by 2018.
The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative announced today that it wants to be “the nation’s largest employer-led coalition committed to creating pathways to meaningful employment for America’s young people,” particularly those that face obstacles to jobs and education.
“As a startup, I can attribute a lot of our early success to the smart, ambitious, and young talent base we have,” Porch CEO Matt Ehrlichman said in a statement. “At the heart of every durable company and community is empowerment. When you combine that with opportunity, you can literally change the world. We look forward to the road ahead and the opportunities we will provide as our business and the home service industry grows.”
The organization will work with existing programs in cities across the country to help young adults find jobs with companies that need help. The other founding companies include Cintas, CVS Health, Hilton Worldwide, HMSHost, JCPenney, JPMorgan Chase, Lyft, Macy’s, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Taco Bell, Target, Walgreens and Walmart.
“These companies have joined together and are operating with the belief that with the right skills and training, Opportunity Youth represent an unrealized pipeline of talent and an economic engine that can be ignited,” the group said today in a statement.
