America's First National, Virtual Career Fair To Offer Up To 50,000 Job Opportunities To Young People on November 1st

SEATTLE, Oct. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Schultz Family Foundation, in partnership with JobLaunch.org, Get Schooled and the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, announced that on this Thursday, November 1, 2018, they will help stage the first-ever virtual National Youth Hiring Day (#hiringday).  The participating employers—which include Enterprise Rent a Car, Five Guys, Hyatt, Macy's, Nordstrom, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Sixt Rent a Car, Starbucks, T-Mobile and Ulta Beauty—are collectively seeking to fill as many as 50,000 open positions right now. The companies will leverage #hiringday and JobLaunch.org as an innovative way to connect with more promising young talent.

While national unemployment has reached historic lows, the unemployment rate for young people between the ages of 16 and 24 remains high. Job openings in the retail, food services and transportation sectors alone total nearly 2,000,000 ahead of the holiday season. Meanwhile, there are more than 4.5 million young people in America who are out of school and unemployed—or roughly one in seven youth who are disconnected from our economy.  National Youth Hiring Day aims to help close that gap and empower more "Opportunity Youth" to unlock a brighter future. 

"I have spent time with many talented young people who are eager for exactly this kind of opportunity to connect with employers, get a good job and succeed," said Sheri Schultz, President of the Schultz Family Foundation. "National Youth Hiring Day is philanthropy, nonprofits and businesses coming together and doing what each does best to make a difference in lives and in our economy."

Career fairs have historically been place-based and region-specific. And they've proven successful at connecting those most in need of resources and services: past Schultz Family Foundation and 100,000 Opportunities Initiative-backed events in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle and Washington D.C. have exceeded the hiring goal of 100,000 young people matched with jobs, in addition to internships or higher education opportunities.  But these fairs are time and place limited. National Youth Hiring Day will offer this opportunity to employers and job seekers nationwide, while also reducing some key barriers that prevent talented young people from being found. 

"Through these events, we're excited to engage with our nation's source of talented young people and tap into the value of their diverse experience," said Mary Dillon, Chief Executive Officer of Ulta Beauty. "Ulta Beauty is committed to developing our workforce, removing barriers to employment and providing professional growth opportunities. We recognize the tremendous potential of our youth workforce and truly believe this innovative initiative will help unlock their future while bringing value to our business."

"At Hyatt, we care for people so they can be their best and this purpose comes to life in our communities through a commitment to create employment opportunities for youth around the world," said Malaika Myers, Chief Human Resources Officer of Hyatt. "Hospitality is one of the few remaining industries where entry-level roles often lead to life-long, fulfilling careers, but young people often lack a clear path to opportunities in this field. Consistent with the goals of our global youth hiring program RiseHY, we look forward to participating in the first-ever virtual National Youth Hiring Day to create awareness of career opportunities at Hyatt hotels and others, and reduce barriers to employment in the hospitality industry."

National Youth Hiring Day will include an array of new tools and programming, including:

• Common Inquiry Form - The job search process can be quite intimidating for first-time job seekers, so JobLaunch.org is introducing the easiest job application ever. Inspired by the Common App, a single application that allows undergrads to apply to hundreds of member colleges simultaneously, the JobLaunch Common Inquiry Form will give youth across the country a single online entry point to all participating Hiring Day employers. By answering a few short questions, young people will be able to quickly and easily open the application and interview process with many of America's leading companies.
• Vésumé - To help bring the résumé into the 21st century, we're inviting youth to share 30-60 second vésumés, or video résumés, so they can show employers their potential. Applicants will be asked to share something unique about themselves, or something meaningful they've learned in life, which they believe would benefit an employer. Young people can upload their vésumés to any social platform and include a link to it when they submit their Common Inquiry Form.
• Virtual Employer Spotlights - National Youth Hiring Day will also offer employers a new way to open up a window into a "day in the life" at their company. Throughout the day, we will host a series of lively, interactive Twitter chats with participating companies on the hashtag #hiringday. Topics covered will include the application process, benefits offered, advancement opportunities and the felt experience of working for the company, to name a few.
• One-on-one Career Coaching - While many youth are poised to get job offers as a result of National Youth Hiring Day, JobLaunch.org will offer up an array of free tools and resources so that every young person who participates can get a leg up in their job search. One such tool is the JobLaunch SMS helpline (text HIRINGDAY to 335577), which will offer one-on-one support on topics like applying for a job, what to wear to a job interview, best practices for following up and more—on and after Hiring Day.

For more information on National Youth Hiring Day, please visit HiringDay.org or follow JobLaunch on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

About Schultz Family Foundation
The Schultz Family Foundation, established in 1996 by Sheri and Howard Schultz, aims to unlock America's potential, one individual and one community at a time.  It creates opportunities for populations facing barriers to success to ensure that their place in life isn't determined by zip code, race, religion, gender or sexual identity. Investing in innovative, scalable solutions and partnerships, the Foundation focuses its efforts on two groups with enormous promise: the 4.6 million youth and young adults aged between 16 and 24 who are out of school and out of work, and the 3.8 million post 9/11 veterans and the approximately 300,000 service members who transition from active, National Guard, or Reserve duty to civilian life each year.

About 100,000 Opportunities Initiative
The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative™ has created the nation's largest employer-led private sector coalition committed to creating pathways to employment for young people. Companies engaged in the coalition help launch careers for young people who are just entering the workforce, including full- and part-time work, as well as internships, apprenticeships and on-the-job training. Each company is also committed to developing potential in youth who have some work experience but are looking to gain new skills that lead to successful careers. Please visit www.100kOpportunities.org to learn more.

About Get Schooled
Get Schooled is an award-winning non-profit organization that directly engages and motivates students to graduate from high school and succeed in college. With nearly a million members, Get Schooled offers students a range of supports including college advisor text help and digital content. Get Schooled has developed a track record of success because it engages with young Americans using the media, technology, and popular culture that is an integral part of their lives. Named a Fast Company "Most Innovative Company" for its use of gamification to inspire and engage young people, Get Schooled was founded in 2010 through a partnership between Viacom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information visit www.getschooled.com.

About JobLaunch
JobLaunch is an initiative started in partnership between Get Schooled and the Schultz Family Foundation to help Opportunity Youth start down a path of success and self-sufficiency through employment and a solid online support network.  The JobLaunch.org digital platform provides motivated young talent with tips and resources, employment opportunities, one-on-one career coaching through a dedicated textline, and more.  For more, please visit www.joblaunch.org.

SOURCE Schultz Family Foundation