Jobs for the Future (JFF) is a national nonprofit that drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all.

JFF has announced Project ACCESS: Accelerating Career Connections and Employment Success Strategies, a new funding opportunity to scale community and technical college programs that connect learnings to paid work-based learning and quality jobs. 

With support from the PwC Foundation, JFF aims to create and support a cohort of 10 exemplary community and technical colleges in accelerating innovative programs that effectively connect learners—especially those facing systemic barriers, such as learners who identify as Black or Latine, women of all backgrounds, learners from low-income households and first-generation postsecondary education students—with paid work-based learning opportunities and quality jobs. Through direct funding from the PwC Foundation and technical assistance from JFF, the cohort institutions and JFF will identify, strengthen, and scale existing programs aligned with a variety of strategies, including apprenticeship and work-based learning, career navigation services and supports, short-term credentials, and other approaches that can lead to labor market opportunity.

Each college that is selected for this opportunity will receive $300,000 over a two-year period to strengthen, expand, and scale effective programs, including research and evaluation support; technical assistance, a peer learning community, and the opportunity to be featured in thought leadership and national convening. 

To be eligible, colleges must be a public community or technical college, which may include community colleges offering baccalaureate programs. Participating colleges must have a pre-existing program with strong evidence of the effectiveness of connecting learners to paid work-based learning opportunities and/or jobs that meet one or more components of quality jobs, with at least 100-150 students already enrolled in this program annually. Colleges must demonstrate that their program serves or aims to serve representative groups of students, including learners facing systemic barriers, such as learners who identify as Black or Latine, women of all backgrounds, learners from low-income households, and first-generation postsecondary education students.

A virtual information session will be held on January 8, 2025, at 12 noon ET. 

For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and to register for the virtual information session, see the Jobs for the Future website.