Outmatch Launches New Outmatch Foundation and Announces Merit America as First Grant Recipient
Employee-led Foundation to connect people to their purpose with support for organizations that help unlock career opportunities for those who lack resources
DALLAS, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Outmatch, the leading provider of digital hiring technologies, announced the official launch of the Outmatch Foundation to bring its mission of matching people with purpose to the broader community. The employee-led Foundation, which will remain a separate entity to OutMatch, will support organizations that work with people who have traditionally lacked access to career and educational resources, and help them unlock opportunities for success. The Foundation has selected Merit America, an organization that provides a path to skilled careers for adults without bachelor's degrees, as its first grant recipient.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has completely disrupted the job market, leaving millions of people without work and in some cases, no career to return to," said Andrew D'Agostino, Director at OutMatch and Co-chair of the Foundation. "Unfortunately, reskilling and upskilling programs remain out of reach for many people, despite being necessary to make career moves that will set them up for long-term success. At the Outmatch Foundation, we believe the chance to succeed is a right, not a privilege. It is important that we find ways to equip people with the right tools and resources so they can embark on meaningful careers with the in-demand skills that employers in high-demand fields are looking for."
As part of the OutMatch Foundation's support for Merit America, it will be sponsoring a squad of up to 12 adults in Merit America's IT Support track. The cohort of individuals will go through a 14-week program where they will be trained in skills needed to land an IT job. The program includes weekly small group meetings and individual sessions with a dedicated coach, as well as events open to the broader community. Upon completion, Merit America will work closely with each participant to help them secure relevant jobs.
"Like the OutMatch Foundation, we share the same sentiment that people's career journeys should not be defined by situations beyond their control," said Rebecca Taber, Co-CEO of Merit America. "Everyone should have the opportunity to transform their career, which is why we are so grateful for OutMatch's support for Merit America. This support will allow us to continue to train, reskill, and upskill talented adults for upwardly-mobile, recession-resilient careers."
In addition to sponsoring a Merit America IT Support track, Outmatch and the OutMatch Foundation have been working with Merit America for the past two years in various capacities. Merit America utilizes OutMatch's video interview software to screen and select candidates for its tracks and OutMatch employees have been participating in skills-based volunteering, conducting mock interviews with students in the program. In turn, OutMatch has made positive adjustments to how they hire by eliminating blanket bachelor requirements for most positions to make them more accessible to non-traditional candidates.
Funding for the OutMatch Foundation comes from donations made by employees, leaders and owners, as well as support from outside donors. To learn more about the OutMatch Foundation and how you can support its initiatives, visit here.
About OutMatch
OutMatch makes people decisions more scalable, predictable, and personal with an end-to-end talent decision platform. The world's most recognized brands rely on OutMatch to scale recruitment, understand their talent, and personalize candidate and employee experiences. Over 1,000 global companies trust OutMatch technology to process millions of candidates annually, and to achieve 25X return on investment through better people outcomes.
OutMatch is a portfolio company of Rubicon Technology Partners (headquartered in Boulder, Colorado) and Camden Partners (headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland).
About the OutMatch Foundation
The OutMatch Foundation was established by employees in July 2020 to put OutMatch's mission of matching people with purpose into action to benefit the broader community. The Foundation is guided by its belief that we live in a world where every person has a path, a purpose, and a dream; where their journeys are not defined by who they are and where they come from; and where the chance to succeed is a right, not a privilege.
About Merit America
Merit America envisions a world in which anyone can advance their life based on merit, not money, by providing underemployed/unemployed adults with a path to an in-demand career, family-sustaining wages, and opportunities for ongoing advancement. With program offerings in Java and IT Support, our fast and flexible programs combine on-demand online learning with coaching and peer support.
SOURCE OutMatch
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