Jobs for the Future

About Jobs for the Future

A defining feature of Jobs for the Future Inc is its repeated investment in apprenticeship infrastructure and employer-linked pathways. One of its largest recent grants went to Burning Glass Institute for a Walmart Skills First-value infrastructure project, while other large awards supported EdX boot camps and microcredentials that connect digital skills to career pathways. The pattern points to a funder that backs systems and intermediaries as much as direct programs. The foundation funds work across education, workforce development, postsecondary innovation, reentry pathways, and job quality. Recent awards also show support for research and evaluation, state-level policy work, and technical assistance centers. In several cases, the grants are tied to named national initiatives rather than standalone local projects, which fits JFF’s role as a systems-builder. Jobs for the Future Inc also uses its own platforms and partnerships to move capital into the field. JFF Labs appears in the recent grants, as do partner-linked projects with organizations such as The Council of State Governments and the Texas Education Agency. Across the portfolio, the grants point to a funder focused on scaling workforce and education solutions through intermediaries, public agencies, and training providers.

What Jobs for the Future Funds

Apprenticeship is a central theme. Jobs for the Future Inc gave $318,337 to Chicago Women in Trades for the Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Centers of Excellence project, and $255,232 to Jevs Human Services for DOL Apprenticeship Building America. It also awarded $255,125 to Intelligent Partnerships Inc for the same technical assistance center effort. The foundation also backs digital skills and postsecondary-to-career pathways. It granted $948,298 to Edx Boot Camps LLC to support Truist Building Digital Skills to Career Pathways through EdX Boot Camps, and $800,000 to Edx LLC for the Koch Foundation & EdX MicroBachelors Program Phase 2.2. On workforce systems and job quality, JFF gave $609,745 to Turning Basin Labs Co-op Inc for the RWJF Increasing Workers Voice Project and $227,730 to the City and County of San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development for Salesforce Apprenticeship. These awards show interest in both worker voice and employer-connected training models.

How Jobs for the Future Gives