More than 18 months after its inception, OneTen–the initiative designed by Kenneth Frazier, retired CEO and current executive chairman of pharmaceutical giant Merck, former American Express Chairman and CEO Ken Chenault, and former Infor CEO and Chairman Charles Phillips–has been gaining momentum fulfilling pledges made by leaders of the nation’s largest companies to create 1 million family-sustaining, career-advancing jobs for Black non-degree holders over the next decade.
Maurice Jones, who has served in an array of high-impact positions, including as Deputy Secretary for HUD during the Obama administration, and head of Local Initiatives Support Corporation, was recruited last February to serve as the honcho for this mammoth effort–an act Frazier asserts “was the most important thing to happen in the first year.” Maurice Jones speaks at the event (Courtesy of PR Noir) Maurice Jones speaks at the event (Courtesy of PR Noir)
The move has proven fruitful: Thus far, OneTen has helped find employment for 41,000 people. - ADVERTISEMENT -
Frazier maintains that building this coalition of CEOs to urgently address the lack of employment opportunities and income inequality among African Americans was an outgrowth of the wave of corporate commitments announced in 2020 in response to worldwide protests against systemic racism inspired by the George Floyd tragedy. To achieve this end, Jones and his team brought together:
More than 70 corporate partners, including Merck, AT&T, Walmart, ADP, and JPMorgan Chase, among other major corporations, that have actively hired Black talent and committed to supplying thousands of much-needed jobs.
Over 100 talent developers like Van Jones’s Dream Corps, Goodwill Industries, General Assembly, IBM SkillsBuild, NPower, and other outfits to help job prospects hone skills.
And scores of community organizations to aid locals with work transition by providing essential services, including childcare, career coaching, technology, and transportation.
Last month, OneTen beefed up its online Career Marketplace to reinforce its ecosystem. The enhanced platform leverages “smart technology” to facilitate matching employers, talent developers, and candidates at scale and improve analytics capabilities. Moreover, the upgrade offers job seekers an enhanced talent developer referral system laden with resources and opportunities.
Poster Comment:
God bless the negroes, I'm sure they can mostly be gainfully employed once the government mandates it.