We live in an era of unprecedented speed with respect to technical innovation and adoption. A 2017 Brookings report found that nearly two-thirds of new jobs created since 2010 require either medium or high-level digital skills, yet in the US, a 50% shortage of computer/IT graduates is expected by 2024. The consequences of this skills gap extend to individuals and communities. Individuals entering the workforce, without market-ready technical skills, may face barriers to enter middle-skill opportunities and higher earning potential, as those jobs requiring technical skills pay an average of 17% higher salaries.

Low-income and minority communities are more severely impacted. A Pew study found that roughly one-third of families with a household income less than $50k and with children ages 5-18, don’t have high-speed internet at home. This gap in access to digital services not only contributes to the “homework gap,” the premise that low-income students are at a disadvantage without online access to complete homework, but also correlates with the finding that low-income and minority populations on average demonstrate lower rates of digital literacy.

The Acumen Civic Accelerator: Future of Work, presented by the PwC Charitable Foundation – a 10-week entrepreneur boot camp – will help accelerate 12 innovative, scalable ventures that increase workforce access, readiness and success through:

The following CivicX graduates are leading innovations in workforce development for underserved populations across the country.