OneTen is a coalition of leaders who are working together to cultivate economic opportunities for Black talent in America. Over the next 10 years, we will upskill, hire and promote one million Black individuals who do not have a four-year degree into family-sustaining careers.

Yes. Companies of all sizes, in every industry and across geographies are invited to join. While we are launching with large companies, we welcome the small and medium businesses that power the majority of the American economy.

We bring together employers, education and training programs and community organizations to create accessible pathways to family-sustaining careers for Black talent and support their ongoing advancement.

Family-sustaining jobs meet four standards:

Pay family-sustaining wages. This varies based on the cost of living in each city, but generally means the compensation covers the basic needs for a family. Calculate the family-sustaining wage in your area with the MIT Living Wage calculator.

Accessible. These jobs do not require a four-year college degree for a candidate to perform successfully. An estimated 4 million jobs today can be recredentialed to remove the requirement for a college degree.

Opportunities for advancement. These jobs are eligible for promotion, parallel education and have a pathway to more senior positions within the company.

Attractive. These jobs have a relatively low risk of being automated, informed by Oxford study, allowing a longer-term career to develop.

Skills-first hiring and promotion emphasizes the specific competencies a candidate needs to be successful in the role.

It’s 5x more predictive of a person’s future performance than their education, and 2.5x better than their experience. It also diversifies talent pools, accelerates the hiring process and increases the likelihood of retention.

An estimated 4 million jobs today can be recredentialed to remove the requirement for a college degree.

There are family-sustaining careers in a variety of industries, including information technology, healthcare, business management & operations, customer service, manufacturing and sales.

Some examples include:

– Software Developer
– Systems Administrator
– Registered Nurse
– Laboratory Technologist
– Project Coordinator
– Loan Officer
– Supervisors and Managers
– Call Center Representative
– Financial Advisor
– User Support Specialist
– Engineers and Machinist
– Sales Representative
– Retail Associate

By focusing on candidates’ credentials and removing the requirement for a four-year college degree, we will create opportunities for Black talent to achieve success.

Here’s how:

Direct hires. An employer will hire Black talent through OneTen or any other channel.

Promotions. Employers will upskill and promote Black talent within their organization into a family-sustaining job.

Partner hires. Employers will influence their suppliers and business partners to hire Black talent.

While we emphasize careers, OneTen’s greater aim is to shatter systemic barriers and create economic opportunities for Black families in America.

We will work with coalition members to replace the requirement for four-year degree with specific skills and competencies, where appropriate.

We will connect a talent ecosystem of committed employers, reputable talent developers and Black talent to a jobs marketplace, making it faster and easier to place skilled talent in family-sustaining jobs.

Companies who hire Black talent will be accountable to their retention, development and advancement, as well as fostering an inclusive environment where diverse individuals can thrive.

You can join us by taking a moment to tell us about yourself or your organization. A member of the OneTen team will reach out about next steps.