Founded in 2015, in part to support and grow TechHire, an Obama White House initiative to connect overlooked communities with technology job openings, this work was originally incubated as a civic enterprise within the organization, New America.
In 2017, Opportunity@Work became an independent 501(c)(3) with two goals:
- Develop and test platforms to provide tech-enabled solutions to solve the opportunity gap.
- Rally public, private, and nonprofit partners to rewire the labor market so that everyone can contribute their skills, talent, and energy in pursuit of a better life.
Recognizing the learning needed to solve this problem at scale, Opportunity@Work has actively led several initiatives to expand access to career opportunities for overlooked individuals.
Its major national initiative is STARS, Skilled Through Alternative Routes, designed to enable individuals to work, learn, and earn to their full potential. The initiative in founded in the recognition that in past decades, rising career barriers for the 60% of U.S. workers who do not have a bachelor’s degree has played a large role in downward mobility for STARs. Degree discrimination — the practice of employers using degree requirements to screen out otherwise qualified candidates in pursuit of hiring efficiencies—has played a major role in the downward mobility of STARS.
STARS are described by Opportunity@Work as follows:
- Talented individuals "Skilled Through Alternative Routes" rather than a bachelor’s degree.
- At least 25 years old, currently active in the workforce, and having a high school diploma but not having a bachelor’s degree.
- Comprise half of the U.S. workforce.
- Found in every field and occupation across the labor market, from travel and hospitality to retail, health care, information technology, manufacturing, and more.
- Reflect the nation’s racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity.
- Developed valuable skills on the job, through military service, in community college, or through other alternative routes.
- Millions of STARs have demonstrated skills for roles with salaries at least 50% higher than their current job.
In the research report, Reach for the STARs: Realizing the Potential of America’s Hidden Talent Pool, Opportunity@Work segmented STARs into the following three groups based on their skills-readiness for higher-wage work:
- Shining STARs - 4 million Shining STARs currently work in high-wage jobs today, despite the barriers to advancement. Shining STARs are proof of what is possible when employers recognize skills over pedigree.
- Rising STARs - 32 million Rising STARs currently work in low- and middle-wage jobs but have the skills for jobs in a higher-wage category. Employers can access Rising STARs’ talent now by changing their hiring practices.
- Forming STARs - 35 million Forming STARs work in low- and middle-wage jobs and have skills for smaller wage gains through more limited pathways. Training opportunities can help this group of STARS.
