October 3, 2022
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Fellows connects small businesses with community college students through work-based learning.
Assisting small businesses is key to creating strong community economies; small businesses employ 50 percent of the American workforce and are more likely to employ a diverse worker pool. Small businesses face systemic challenges in finding, hiring, and retaining qualified talent. But a strong local pipeline is currently untapped: Community college students. Facilitating the connection between the local diverse talent pools and small businesses in communities is necessary for the continued fight for equitable economic advancement for all.
Goldman Sachs’s 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) program is designed to support businesses by matching them with a local community college “fellow” to support their business needs and provide an opportunity for local learners to gain professional experience. As an implementation partner, the program is grounded in work-based learning principles produced by Jobs for the Future (JFF).
In a report released today by Goldman Sachs, the company announced the publication of 10,000 Small Businesses Fellows: A Model for Addressing Talent Needs in Small Businesses, featuring JFF. This report outlines a framework for developing high-impact internship programs that connect small businesses with community college students to bolster local talent pipelines.
Community colleges and small businesses are cornerstones of America: they power regional economies, fuel talent pipelines, and position millions of learners for equitable economic advancement. Expanding access to work-based learning opportunities, career exposure, and engagement are critical steps toward improving the career prospects of community college students. Goldman Sachs's 10,000 Small Business Fellows works because it helps people build skills and experience and ensures that our economy has the highly skilled workforce it needs to thrive.
Kristina Francis, executive director, JFFLabs
JFFLabs is the Jobs for the Future innovation lab—we catalyze new ways to achieve our mission at JFF and with our partners. JFFLabs is the Jobs for the Future innovation lab—we catalyze new ways to…
