OneTen Coalition Hires 17,000 Black Individuals into Family-Sustaining Jobs in First Year

NEW YORK, Dec. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OneTen, a coalition of business leaders and corporations who are working together to cultivate economic opportunities and mobility for Black talent in America, today released its first report detailing meaningful, measurable progress towards its ambitious mission of upskilling, hiring and promoting one million Black individuals without four-year degrees into family-sustaining jobs over the next 10 years. The "Year One Report: Building Momentum for a Movement" illustrates how OneTen is transforming the American hiring ecosystem by closing the racial wealth gap, shifting hiring practices and championing Black talent.

Read the full OneTen Year One Report: https://oneten.org/blog/

Led by Chief Executive Officer Maurice Jones, OneTen partners with member companies, talent developers, including community colleges, online bootcamps, and military transition programs, and community organizations across the United States to shatter systemic barriers and unlock opportunities for Black talent without four-year college degrees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 79% of family-sustaining jobs in the United States require a four-year degree, yet 76% of Black talent ages 24 years and older are shut out from these opportunities because they lack one. Through a skills-first approach to hiring, which is five times more predictive of a person's future performance than their education, OneTen hopes to serve as a model for creating greater economic and racial justice. Member companies, which represent some of the largest employers in the country, have committed to adopting skills-first hiring, reclassifying jobs, and strengthening internal diversity, equity, and inclusion practices to empower all talent to build and thrive in successful careers.

"We've designed a system meant to ensure our partners and coalition members remain engaged and accountable," said Ken Frazier, OneTen Co-Chair, and former CEO and chairman of Merck. "We hold ourselves to that same standard by reporting on OneTen's tangible progress. We strongly believe these measurable impacts will lead to immeasurable possibilities for Black talent over the next ten years and beyond, igniting potential for generations to come."

In its first year alone, OneTen's impact includes:

• 17,000 qualifying hires, 4,000 promotions, and an 89% talent retention rate.
• 60 member companies that have formally joined the coalition and 50 talent developers and content partners providing education and upskilling.
• More than 30 industries represented amongst jobs, 25 regional markets with a scalable OneTen presence, and over 360 locations across the U.S. with OneTen job opportunities.
• Partnerships with over 250 CEOs, CHROs, DEI executives and other senior leaders actively working to change hiring practices within coalition member companies.

"Our OneTen coalition members share a common goal to dismantle the structural barriers that have kept qualified workers on the sideline," said Ginni Rometty, OneTen Co-Chair, and former CEO and chairman of IBM. "We are proud of the progress we have made so far, but these numbers are just the beginning. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to being transparent in the ongoing retention, development, and advancement of Black talent."

Looking ahead to 2022, OneTen plans to:

• Grow its coalition membership of companies, talent developers and community partners.
• Significantly increase the number of Black talent hired and promoted by coalition member companies.
• Expand employer access to high-quality sources of Black talent for family-sustaining jobs.
• Increase the number of family-sustaining jobs currently not requiring a four-year degree among coalition member companies.
• Broaden the use of apprenticeship models among employers.
• Strengthen its community of practice forum for CEOs and talent leads for sharing best practices in recruiting, upskilling and advancing diverse talent.
• Continue to support individual employers to accelerate internal progress.
• Increase investment in organizations providing wraparound services to enable Black talent to succeed at work.

About OneTen

OneTen is a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies who are coming together to upskill, hire and promote one million Black individuals who do not yet have a four-year degree into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement over the next 10 years. OneTen connects employers with talent developers including leading nonprofits and other skill-credentialing organizations who support development of diverse talent. By creating more equitable and inclusive workforces, we believe we can reach our full potential as a nation of united citizens. OneTen recognizes the unique potential in everyone – every individual, every business, every community – to change the arc of America's story with Black talent. Join us at OneTen.org, where one can be the difference.

SOURCE OneTen