JPMorgan Chase gives $5.3M to DMV career pathways program

JPMorgan Chase has donated $5.3 million to TalentReady, a student career pathways program in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., the bank announced Thursday.

The program, which is organized by the Greater Washington Partnership and Education Strategy Group, has a focus on ensuring students get work-based learning experiences, such as capstone projects and internships.

TalentReady has already supported 25,000 high school students from Fairfax County; Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and Baltimore in Maryland; and Washington, D.C. The program aims to connect students in K-12 and colleges in the greater Washington region with high-growth, high-demand jobs. It also increases accessibility for underrepresented populations to secure entry-level STEM jobs in fields such as technology and health care.

GWP cited a McKinsey analysis that found 70,000 jobs in the region went unfilled last year, and TalentReady hopes to fill more vacancies by training and retaining local talent.

“The path to powering our communities and unlocking economic opportunity for everyone starts at the local level,” Tim Berry, global head of corporate responsibility and chairman of the mid-Atlantic region for JPMorgan Chase, said in a statement. “Through our investment in the TalentReady initiative, we are expanding our efforts to better prepare students for in-demand, skills-based jobs in the greater Washington region. Working alongside local partners in the nonprofit, education and business communities, and with engagement from regional leaders like Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, we can create a system that helps students advance their career pathways and support a thriving economy.”

GWP uses a tool called the Employer Signaling System, which helps educators prepare students to fill some of the most in-demand tech jobs, according to a news release.

“Through our TalentReady work, we’re continuing to strengthen the Employer Signaling System, our innovative process and tool that combines labor market data with feedback from employers and educators to paint a comprehensive picture of the region’s workforce landscape,” Kathy Hollinger, CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership, said in a statement. “We know conversations about talent pipelines can occur in silos, with various stakeholder groups in discussions amongst themselves, but not always to one another. The ESS serves as the connector between these groups — educators, employers and more — allowing them all to speak in common language about talent needs and skills gaps.”

The expanded initiative builds on the first phase of TalentReady, which launched in 2018. This gift expands on JPMorgan’s $75 million global career readiness initiative.

“Thanks to the private sector leadership of JPMorgan Chase and their investment in TalentReady, we are expanding workforce opportunities for students in Virginia,” Youngkin said in a statement. “My administration is committed to fostering pathways to the most in-demand careers, providing technical training and investing in results-oriented programs that boost our workforce readiness. By fostering partnerships between our top-ranked education institutions and Virginia’s most critical employers, we are preparing our young people to graduate workforce and college ready.”