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| Atlanta CareerRise | |
|---|---|
| Name | Atlanta CareerRise |
| Formation | 2015 |
| Type | Workforce development organization |
| Location | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
Atlanta CareerRise
Atlanta CareerRise is a workforce development intermediary based in Atlanta, Georgia serving the Metropolitan Atlanta area and surrounding Georgia (U.S. state). The organization connects employers, educational institutions, community colleges such as Atlanta Technical College, and nonprofit agencies including Goodwill Industries and United Way of Greater Atlanta to improve job placement and career pathways for residents of Fulton County, Georgia, DeKalb County, Georgia, and neighboring counties. It coordinates training aligned with regional industry clusters such as health care at institutions like Emory University Hospital and technology roles at companies including The Coca-Cola Company and Delta Air Lines.
Atlanta CareerRise was established in 2015 as part of a wave of workforce intermediaries modeled after initiatives like WorkAdvance and partnerships fostered by JPMorgan Chase workforce investments. Early pilots involved collaborations with Georgia State University researchers and local workforce boards such as the Atlanta Workforce Development Board. The organization built on prior regional efforts tied to the Atlanta BeltLine workforce strategies and incorporated lessons from national programs like Sectoral Employment. It expanded programming during recovery efforts after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating responses with agencies including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outreach and local governments such as the City of Atlanta.
The stated mission focuses on connecting jobseekers with training pathways and employer demand in sectors such as health care, advanced manufacturing at firms like Siemens USA, information technology with partners like Microsoft Corporation and hospitality with employers such as Marriott International. Programs include incumbent worker training in partnership with Georgia Department of Labor initiatives, pre-apprenticeship models inspired by ApprenticeshipUSA, and sector-based career pathway models aligned with Healthcare Georgia Foundation priorities. Programmatic elements draw on curricula from community colleges such as Chattahoochee Technical College and credentialing aligned with standards from organizations like CompTIA and National Institute for Metalworking Skills.
The governance structure includes a board of directors comprised of representatives from corporations like Cox Enterprises, philanthropic organizations such as The Kresge Foundation, and educational leaders from Spelman College and Morehouse College. Operational leadership coordinates with regional workforce boards including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act local areas and regional planning bodies like Metro Atlanta Chamber. Staffing includes program managers with experience at nonprofits such as Atlanta Jobs and policy analysts who have worked with think tanks like Brookings Institution and Urban Institute on workforce research.
Funding streams combine philanthropic grants from foundations including Ford Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation, corporate workforce investments from firms like UPS and Home Depot, and government funding via grants from U.S. Department of Labor programs and state workforce funds administered through the Technical College System of Georgia. Strategic partnerships extend to healthcare systems such as Emory Healthcare and Wellstar Health System, technology employers including Google and IBM, and training providers like Per Scholas and Year Up. Collaborative projects leverage resources from community organizations like Latin American Association and Atlanta Legal Aid Society.
Evaluations conducted by researchers at institutions such as Georgia State University and analysts from RAND Corporation measured job placement rates, credential attainment, and wage progression for participants. Reported outcomes include placement into roles at employers like HCA Healthcare and Kaiser Permanente affiliates, increased retention in industries such as logistics with companies like DHL and XPO Logistics, and measurable gains in earning trajectories comparable to sector-based programs documented by MDRC. Outcomes are tracked in coordination with state labor statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and regional economic indicators from Atlanta Regional Commission.
Notable initiatives include a healthcare career pathway aligned with clinical partners such as Children's Healthcare of Atlanta; a digital skills bootcamp in collaboration with LinkedIn and General Assembly; a manufacturing pipeline with employers including Coca‑Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated and Nucor; and a hospitality employment project in partnership with Delta Air Lines and Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Special projects have addressed reentry populations in coordination with Georgia Department of Corrections initiatives and targeted youth employment programs modeled after Mayor’s Office of the City of Atlanta youth summer work efforts.
Critiques of Atlanta CareerRise have paralleled common concerns raised about intermediary organizations in reports by The Atlantic and advocacy groups like National Skills Coalition: scalability of sector-based models, sustainability of funding post-grants from entities such as JPMorgan Chase, and equity in access across Clayton County, Georgia, Cobb County, Georgia, and other suburbs. Additional challenges include aligning credentialing with employer demand cited in analyses by National Academy of Sciences and managing data-sharing constraints under privacy frameworks referenced by Office of Management and Budget guidance. Operational hurdles have included coordinating across multiple workforce boards and resolving competing priorities among corporate partners like Microsoft Corporation and local community stakeholders such as Atlanta Housing Authority.
Category:Organizations based in Atlanta