What Skills for Rhode Island’s Future does

Skills for Rhode Island's Future (SkillsRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce intermediary founded in October 2016 and headquartered at 30 Exchange Terrace in Providence, Rhode Island. Modeled after Skills for Chicagoland's Future, the organization matches unemployed and underemployed Rhode Islanders with employer hiring needs through a demand-driven model in which professional recruiters source, pre-screen, and prepare candidates against specific open roles. Core service lines include a Job Board platform, the Skills Academy online learning hub (offering free digital courses via LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn, and GitHub), the PrepareRI paid internship pipeline for high school and college students, the RI Small Business Resource Hub for disadvantaged businesses, the WorkABILITY Initiative supporting disability employment, and multiple Ready.Set.Work! pre-employment training tracks (Electric Boat, Banking & Finance, Care Economy, Entrepreneurship) plus specialty manufacturing and healthcare trainings (welding, CNC, pharmacy technician, process technology, composites).

The organization operates as a public-private partnership under the leadership of Executive Director Nina Pande, with formal collaborations across the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, the Department of Education, the Governor's Workforce Board, and the Commerce Corporation. Its technology is a portfolio of conventional web platforms — a job board, an online learning hub, an internship application system, and a healthcare dispatch/scheduling application — rather than a unified product, and there is no public API or disclosed AI/ML capability.

All services are provided at no cost to job seekers and employers. Funding flows from three streams: government grants ($1.25M U.S. Department of Labor in 2015; $4M CARES Act/EDA in October 2022; $3.7M federal earmark in December 2025); corporate and foundation grants (Citizens Bank $1.5M commitment, Microsoft $100K, Electric Boat and Citizens $350K combined, plus presenting/platinum/gold sponsors including Bank of America, FM Global, Gilbane, CharterCARE, Blue Cross Blue Shield RI); and individual donations. Cumulative disclosed outcomes include over 10,000 candidates receiving career enhancement services, nearly 3,000 placements since 2016, over 1,700 PrepareRI internships since 2017, and average placement wages of $17.85 per hour.

Name

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future

Legal name

Skills for Rhode Island's Future

Website

https://skillsforri.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Skills for Rhode Island's Future is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce intermediary in Providence that connects unemployed and underemployed Rhode Islanders with employer partners via free job placement, training programs, and career services funded by government grants and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO), Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB), Sales, Customer Service & Soft Skills Training (BPACANAD)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Job placement programs
• Youth internship programs
• Career training programs
• Small business support

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Federal Funding: Primary revenue stream from government sources including CARES Act funding ($4M from U.S. EDA), federal earmarks ($3.7M championed by U.S. Senators), and Department of Labor grants ($1.25M). These fund workforce development programs, small business support, and youth education initiatives.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporations (Citizens Bank $1.5M commitment, Microsoft $100K grant, Electric Boat and Citizens $350K combined for Springpod) and foundations. Sponsors include Bank of America (presenting sponsor), Citizens Bank, General Dynamics Electric Boat, FM Global (platinum), Gilbane, CharterCare (gold).
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individual supporters, with special event sponsorships (e.g., Believers and Achievers Awards Breakfast).
4. Employer Services (Free to Employers): Services to employers including direct placement, training funds access, and specialized staffing solutions are provided at no cost to employers, funded entirely through grants and donations rather than employer fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Skills for Rhode Island's Future (SkillsRI) is a nonprofit workforce intermediary that provides free job search support, career enhancement services, and pre-employment training to unemployed and underemployed Rhode Island residents. It operates an online job board for matching candidates with employers, delivers industry-specific training programs (Ready.Set.Work! tracks for Electric Boat manufacturing, banking/finance, healthcare, and entrepreneurship), runs paid youth internship programs (PrepareRI), and supports small businesses through the RI Small Business HUB. All services are offered at no cost to job seekers, students, and employers, funded by government grants and corporate/foundation sponsorships.

Product overview

Skills for Rhode Island's Future (SkillsRI) is a nonprofit workforce development organization operating as a service-based portfolio rather than a unified software product. The organization offers multiple interconnected service lines: a Job Board platform for job matching, Skills Academy for online learning with LinkedIn/Microsoft/GitHub courses, PrepareRI for youth internships (high school and college), the RI Small Business HUB for entrepreneurship support, and specialized Ready.Set.Work! pre-employment training programs (career readiness, Electric Boat manufacturing, banking/finance, healthcare, entrepreneurship). Additional services include Direct Placement recruiting, Access to Training Funds, Specialized Staffing Solutions, and the WorkABILITY Initiative for disability employment. The portfolio functions as a comprehensive workforce ecosystem where job seekers progress from training through placement, with the PrepareRI programs serving as a talent pipeline for future workforce needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Job Board
• Skills Academy
• PrepareRI High School Internship Program
• PrepareRI College Internship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 candidates received career enhancement services; nearly 3,000 placed into employment since 2016
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• SpringpodflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Statewide experiential learning pilot expanding virtual career exploration for up to 5,000 middle and high school students across Rhode Island. $1M of $3.7M federal earmark funding the pilot. Platform offers employer-designed virtual career experiences across six industries. Springpod has supported 1M+ young people and delivered $150M in social impact.
• General Dynamics Electric BoatflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Inaugural Springpod partner for career exploration; invested $350K combined with Citizens to support Springpod launch and expansion. Major employer partner hosting Ready.Set.Work! Electric Boat training and hiring fair with 700+ positions.
• Brown University HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Inaugural Springpod partner contributing employer-designed career pathways content. Major healthcare employer partner in Rhode Island.
• Rhode Island Commerce CorporationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided matching funds for EDA grant. Partnered with SkillsRI on establishment of RI Small Business Resource Hub as essential resource for entrepreneurs seeking business assistance.
• Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration on workforce development programs including Back to Work portal, temporary staffing initiative, and Real Jobs Partnership grants. Director Scott Jensen involved in SkillsRI launch.
• Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on PrepareRI Work-Based Learning Navigator and career-connected learning initiatives. Commissioner Infante-Green supported Navigator launch.
• Governor's Workforce Board (GWB)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded PrepareRI internship program. Supported development of PrepareRI WBL Navigator in partnership with RIDE and Fidelity Investments.
• Perspectives CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead agency for PCSEPP (Person-Centered Supported Employment Performance Program) grant from BHDDH. Collaborative partnership including SkillsRI, AccessPoint RI, and Trudeau Center for WorkABILITY initiative.
• Tiffany & Co. (Cumberland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot partner for WorkABILITY initiative launching disability employment program to help employers establish D&I goals.
• Cargill (North Kingstown)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot partner for WorkABILITY initiative. Offers ride-share program for employees helping those with transportation barriers access employment.
• Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner. Collaborated on Banking Micro-Pathway program, Registered Apprenticeship Program for Information Security Analysts, and process technology training at Westerly Education Center.
• Rhode Island CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner. Hosted PrepareRI internship bootcamp week. Contributed faculty for Springpod Subject Spotlights content. Jenifer Giroux serves on Board of Directors.
• Johnson & Wales UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner contributing faculty for Springpod career exploration content.
• New England Institute of Technology (NEIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partner contributing faculty for Springpod Subject Spotlights and career pathway content.
• Greater Providence Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization on SkillsRI launch. Laurie White serves on Board of Directors. Supported employer engagement and workforce development initiatives.
• Skills for Chicagoland's FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerModel organization that SkillsRI was based upon. Nationally recognized workforce intermediary with proven success getting unemployed back to work since 2012. Marie Trzupek Lynch served as founding President and CEO.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): Nonprofit providing immediate employment, coaching, and retention support for people returning home from incarceration. Comparable in its focus on serving populations with barriers to employment, though with a narrower target population than SkillsRI.

Regional players

• ApprenticeshipNH / Apprenticeship Carolina (Apprenti): State-level apprenticeship intermediaries running work-based learning programs similar to SkillsRI's PrepareRI internships and Ready.Set.Work! Electric Boat pathway. Comparable in using apprenticeship/internship structures to connect job seekers to in-demand employer roles, but operating in other states.

Broad incumbents

• ResCare Workforce Services: Large, established workforce development provider offering career training, placement, and supported employment across the U.S. Comparable in serving job seekers with barriers and managing employer-funded training programs, though operating as a much broader commercial provider.
• Goodwill Industries International: Major nonprofit workforce development operator running job placement, training, and career services nationally, including for people with disabilities (analogous to SkillsRI's WorkABILITY initiative). Comparable in mission scope, free service model, and grant-funded operations, but at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing training, internships, and job placement for opportunity youth (18-24). Comparable mission (closing the skills gap for underrepresented talent), training-plus-placement model, and corporate-funder base similar to SkillsRI's PrepareRI program.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology training and job placement for adults from underserved communities. Comparable mission to Skills Academy and SkillsRI's overall training-plus-placement approach, with similar employer-partner network model.
• Jewish Vocational Service (JVS): Mission-driven workforce development nonprofit offering career training, coaching, and placement across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable portfolio of training programs, career coaching, and employer partnerships serving job seekers facing barriers to employment.
• Skills for Chicagoland's Future: The original workforce intermediary model that SkillsRI was explicitly based upon. Operates the same demand-driven job placement model for unemployed/underemployed job seekers in Illinois, providing the closest direct operational and programmatic peer comparison.
• America Works: Workforce development and staffing company providing job placement, training, and reentry services for unemployed and disadvantaged populations. Closely comparable to SkillsRI's direct placement, training funds access, and specialized staffing offerings.
• NPower: Nonprofit offering free IT training and job placement services to veterans, military spouses, and young adults from underserved communities. Highly comparable to SkillsRI's Skills Academy digital skills training and direct employer placement services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SkillsforRI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNfM9YMYm2iMbb9_oldAHYA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SkillsforRI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skillsforri
• Instagraminstagram.com/skillsforri

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skills for Rhode Island’s Future