For 40 Years, JAG Has Helped Vulnerable Youth Achieve Positive Outcomes, Overcome Academic, Economic, & Emotional Challenges
Washington, DC – December 17, 2020 – Guild Education, a certified B-Corp on a mission to unlock economic opportunity for America’s workforce through education and upskilling, has announced that it will support Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) through its 2020 Holiday Giving program.
In the last four decades, JAG has helped over 1.4M of our nation’s most underserved youth overcome significant economic, emotional, and academic challenges. Today, the same populations JAG was founded to support have been hit the earliest, hardest, and are most likely to be impacted the longest by the COVID-19 pandemic. This compounds the ongoing challenges of discrimination and inequality many have faced.
Guild will match employee donations dollar-to-dollar through December 20, 2020, as part of their #GuildGivesBack giving campaign. The donations will help to fund JAG’s programs which serve more than 76,000 young people each year.
For 40 years – even amid the pandemic – JAG participants have consistently achieved outstanding results. This includes a 95.7% graduation rate (compared to an 84% average national graduation rate). JAG graduates are also 230% more likely to be employed full-time compared to their peers and twice as likely to go to college. In June of 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shared that 18-19 year olds represented the age demographic most negatively impacted by COVID-19 layoffs, with a national unemployment rate of 33%. For JAG graduates, that rate was three times less (11%).
“We sincerely appreciate Guild Education’s generous support, which will help JAG students overcome various and significant challenges, including food insecurity, homelessness, trauma, and more. Many JAG students’ situations have become more dire due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated job losses, school closures, isolation, etc.,” said Ken Smith, President of JAG.
“JAG supports people of color, those with disabilities, the economically disadvantaged, and other underserved populations by providing equitable services that help achieve equality in outcomes and opportunities,” Smith continued. “It’s through the generousity of supporters like Guild Education that JAG can continue offering our programs – and serving as a lifeline – to students in need.”
“JAG’s mission to help vulnerable young people overcome challenges to achieve success in education and employment greatly aligns with our mission at Guild of unlocking opportunity through education and upskilling,” said Rachel Carlson, Guild Education CEO & Co-Founder. “We are excited to support this incredible organization as part of our holiday giving campaign, and grateful for JAG’s work to equip America’s young people with the skills and tools they need to succeed.”
About Jobs for America’s Graduates
The JAG National Network has a footprint across 1,450 communities in 39 states and impacts more than 76,000 youth annually. JAG graduates consistently achieve outstanding results, including a 95.7% graduation rate. JAG graduates are 230% more likely to be employed full-time compared to their peers, and twice as likely to go to college. For more information, visit http://jagprd.wpenginepowered.com.
About Guild Education
Guild Education is on a mission to unlock opportunity for America’s workforce through education and upskilling, with a double bottom-line business model that does well by doing good. The nation’s leader in helping employers adapt their education and learning programs to align to corporate strategy, Guild helps the more than 88 million workers in need of retraining and upskilling find training and programs they need to unlock economic mobility. Guild partners with leading Fortune 500 employers such as Walmart, Lowe’s, The Walt Disney Company, Discover Financial and Chipotle to offer education and upskilling to their workforce, while supporting their recruitment, retainment, retention, training, and brand goals. To do so, Guild works with top universities and learning providers — including schools like Purdue University Global, the University of Central Florida, and Southern New Hampshire University. With more than 750 employees and a growing customer base, Guild is a fast-growing company that was recognized as a winner of Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas award for its work at the intersection of education, economic mobility, and corporate strategy. Guild has raised over $228M and is backed by venture firms and angel investors including General Catalyst, Salesforce Ventures, Workday Ventures, Stephen Curry, Bessemer Venture Partners, Emerson Collective, Felicis, Redpoint Ventures, and more. For more information, visit https://www.guildeducation.com/.