Opportunity@Work

About

Every year, over 70 million Americans who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) find themselves held back by a broken labor market that prioritizes where workers got their credentials over what they can actually do. Opportunity@Work exists to change that reality - rewiring the U.S. labor market so that STARs, individuals who gain skills through military service, community college, certificate programs, bootcamps, apprenticeships, and on-the-job experience, can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. Through research, employer engagement, technology innovation, and narrative change, Opportunity@Work works to eliminate the invisible "paper ceiling" that limits economic mobility for talented workers without four-year degrees. The organization drives a national shift toward skills-based hiring and advancement through initiatives like the Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign and partnerships with federal, state, and local governments. They partner with leading employers, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders to create a labor market where skills - not pedigree - determine opportunity. Their goal is to enable upward mobility for 1 million STARs by opening up 10 million good-paying jobs and boost their earnings by 100%.