Xprize, a non-profit organization that designs and operates incentive competitions, has marked the conclusion of its Rapid Reskilling competition sponsored by philanthropy organization New Profit.
The competition incentivized teams from across the globe to quickly retrain under-resourced workers, particularly those most vulnerable to losing their jobs, and prepare them for the digital changes in their professions.
The Covid-19 pandemic revealed and deepened systemic barriers to employment and economic mobility, particularly for under-resourced individuals such as women, people of color and workers without college degrees, according to the company. In response, Xprize Rapid Reskilling was launched in June 2020, challenging teams to develop and demonstrate effective job training and reskilling solutions for these communities.
Participating teams developed training programs designed to last three to 18 weeks and prepare workers for full-time, entry-level jobs in several sectors including sales, office administration, health care and construction. The teams then trained workers using their programs and placed them in jobs in these industries within 60 days post-training.
A prize of $1.2 million was awarded to participating teams over the course of the 30-month competition. No team was able to meet the $1.5 million grand prize criteria of scaling up their training program to train and place 5,000 workers in three industries across 10 months.
San Diego-based SHIFA360 was a finalist in the competition. The team developed a four-week program to reskill people for careers as community health workers, medical secretaries and motor vehicle operators.
“We are grateful for the impressive work of the finalist teams in our Rapid Reskilling competition, all of whom developed and demonstrated effective, rapid job training and reskilling solutions for members of communities most vulnerable to employment and wage loss,” Anousheh Ansari, chief executive of Xprize, said in a statement. “We know that the value and impact of a successful Xprize is really about the bold innovators that push boundaries, even if they do not go home with the grand prize. All of these teams should be proud of the impact of their efforts on hundreds of workers and their families nationwide.”
Employees that received training are expected to gain a total of $8.7 million in increased wages in one year.
Xprize will continue working alongside the finalist teams to connect them with companies, nonprofits and other groups to develop and expand their training programs.
