What SkillUp Coalition does

SkillUp Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 by Josh Jarrett in San Francisco, California, that operates a free digital career platform for workers seeking to transition into living-wage jobs without a four-year degree. The core product is the explore.skillup.org web platform, which combines a curated catalog of vetted non-degree career paths, a training program directory (most programs under $10,000 and 12 months in length), and a living-wage job board filtered by MIT living-wage criteria. Supporting services include the AI Career Coach (a conversational AI tool), free group coaching over Zoom, text-based support through Empower Work, purpose-based workshops with nXu, and a Work Styles Quiz for career matching. The platform reaches 4.8M+ workers across 70+ US cities via 30+ location-specific websites and a 170+ coalition partner network comprising workforce boards, training providers, employers, and foundations.

The platform's technology stack is a web-first product with corresponding mobile capabilities, using standard analytics infrastructure (Google Analytics, retargeting pixels). Differentiation rests on curated content—every career card, training program, and job listing is vetted against criteria for accessibility, affordability, and wage outcomes—augmented by a Credential Value Index developed with Burning Glass Institute. The AI Career Coach and recommendation engine are built largely on third-party foundation models, with OpenAI serving as a technical partner via the AI for Economic Opportunity Fund.

SkillUp's business model is grant-funded philanthropy rather than commercial revenue. The platform is free for job seekers, and the organization is supported by foundation and corporate grants from funders including GitLab Foundation, OpenAI, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Ballmer Group, and Truist Foundation. Distribution is primarily self-serve and community-led: users find the platform through SEO, partner referrals, content marketing, and earned media; coalition partners refer job seekers and contribute resources. The organization measures success in social-impact metrics (277,240+ job attainments, $17.8B+ in additional wages, 475:1 ROI) rather than revenue, with a stated goal of serving 10 million workers by 2030.

Name

SkillUp Coalition

Legal name

SkillUp Coalition

Website

https://skillup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SkillUp Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a free digital career platform that helps un- and underemployed workers find living-wage jobs without a four-year degree, serving 4.8M+ users across 70+ US cities via curated career paths, a training catalog, and a job board supported by 170+ coalition partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Platform

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC), Technical Bootcamps & Accelerated Reskilling (Full-time/Part-time) (BPAEANAE)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Career coaching programs
• Job training platform
• Nondegree career pathways
• Talent matching platform

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: SkillUp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates primarily through foundation and corporate grant funding. They receive support from coalition partners who contribute time, energy, and resources. Major funders mentioned include GitLab Foundation, OpenAI, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Ballmer Group.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SkillUp Coalition provides a free, web-based career platform that helps workers without four-year degrees explore vetted careers, discover short-term affordable training programs, and apply to living-wage jobs. The core offering combines a curated nondegree career catalog, a training program directory filtered for cost and length, a living-wage job board, an AI-powered Career Coach, free group coaching sessions, and partner-led text support—delivered entirely at no cost to job seekers and funded by foundation grants and a 170-partner coalition.

Product overview

SkillUp Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit career platform that provides free digital tools and services to help job seekers break into careers without requiring a four-year degree. The core offering is the explore.skillup.org digital platform, which integrates career research, training program discovery, and job application tools in a unified experience. Supporting services include the AI Career Coach (an AI-powered conversational tool providing personalized career guidance), free group coaching sessions over Zoom, confidential text-based career support via Empower Work, a Work Styles Quiz for career matching, purpose-based workshops in partnership with nXu, and an on-demand video library. The platform specifically focuses on careers that pay a living wage, feature affordable short-term training, and offer promotion potential—serving workers across 170+ coalition partners with nationwide reach and 30+ location-specific sites.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Explore SkillUp Platform (explore.skillup.org) Free digital platform enabling job seekers to research careers, find training programs, and apply to jobs that don't require a degree. Features include career path exploration, a training catalog with filters for cost/length/format, a curated job board of living-wage positions, and user profile creation to save and track applications.
• AI Career Coach AI-powered conversational tool that provides interactive career coaching, answering questions about career paths, training options, job search strategies, and professional development. Users provide input and receive AI-generated guidance tailored to their career goals.
• Free Career Coaching Sessions Free group career coaching sessions conducted over Zoom, connecting job seekers with trained career coaches and peer support groups. Targeted at workers without four-year degrees seeking career advancement; has served 18,200+ participants.
• Text-Based Career Support Free, confidential text-based career support available on weekdays through a partnership with Empower Work, providing real-time coaching assistance via messaging.
• Work Styles Quiz Free assessment tool that helps job seekers identify their personality, preferences, and work styles to match them with compatible career paths and industries on the SkillUp platform.
• On-Demand Video Library Collection of recorded career coaching sessions, webinars, and workshop videos available on demand for users who cannot attend live coaching sessions.
• Purpose-Based Coaching Workshops Workshops developed in partnership with nXu to help job seekers discover career direction and meaning, combining purpose exploration with practical career planning; offered to SkillUp users at no cost.

Quantifiable outcome

• $17.8B+ in additional wages generated for job attainers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• OpenAIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026OpenAI co-funds the AI for Economic Opportunity Fund and provides technical mentorship and API credits to grantees. OpenAI supports SkillUp's mission to use AI responsibly to improve economic mobility for workers.
• Social FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021In partnership with Social Finance, SkillUp launched the SkillUp Together Fund in February 2021 to provide $1,000 grant funding to help lower barriers to enrollment in high-quality career pathway programs. Social Finance helped design and administer the fund.
• Burning Glass InstitutestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkillUp works with Burning Glass Institute on the Credential Value Index, which rates training credentials by how much they lift workers' wages. This collaboration informs SkillUp's curation of quality training programs.
• Harvard Business SchoolstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in the Where You Work Matters project, contributing academic expertise to the methodology for rating employer quality and career advancement opportunities.
• Where You Work MattersstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkillUp integrates Where You Work Matters employer ratings into its platform, helping users identify employers who promote from within and invest in worker development. 74% of Platinum/Gold Early Career employers are featured on SkillUp.
• nXucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkillUp partners with nXu to offer purpose-based coaching workshops to help users discover career direction and meaning. This partnership provides workshops to SkillUp users at no cost.
• Empower WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Empower Work provides free, confidential text-based career support available on weekdays. SkillUp users can access this support resource through the platform.
• InsideTrackstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with InsideTrack provides expert career coaching content and resources. InsideTrack coaches contribute to SkillUp's coaching tips video series.
• Generation USAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGeneration USA provides Junior Web Developer training programs featured on SkillUp's platform. SkillUp users have enrolled in Generation USA programs to gain tech skills.
• Social Capital BuilderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSocial Capital Builders is a partner organization that helps youth and adults build social capital with networking opportunities designed to increase visibility, connections, and career realization.
• 170+ Coalition PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkillUp's network of 170+ coalition partners contribute time, energy, and resources to provide upskilling and career resources to workers. Partners include workforce boards, training providers, employers, and community organizations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn operates the dominant professional network with a vast job board, learning platform (LinkedIn Learning), and career exploration tools. It overlaps with SkillUp in job listings, career content, and training discovery but serves a far broader (degree-holding) audience with paid employer and recruiter monetization.
• Indeed: Indeed is one of the largest global job search platforms with millions of listings and a hiring marketplace model. It competes with SkillUp's job board but focuses on volume and employer-paid placement rather than curated, living-wage, nondegree pathways.
• CareerBuilder: CareerBuilder is an established job board and talent acquisition platform offering job listings, resume tools, and career resources. It overlaps with SkillUp's job board but operates commercially and serves all candidates including degree holders.
• Glassdoor: Glassdoor is a job search and employer review platform with company ratings, salary data, and career content. Comparable in providing job listings and employer-quality signals (similar in spirit to Where You Work Matters), though it serves a broader audience commercially.

Direct peers

• Year Up: Year Up is a nonprofit workforce development organization serving young adults from low-income communities with training, mentorship, and corporate internships leading to living-wage jobs. It is a direct peer in target population, mission, and outcome-driven funding model.
• Per Scholas: Per Scholas is a national nonprofit providing no-cost tech training (e.g., IT, software engineering) to individuals from under-resourced communities. It is comparable to SkillUp's training-referral function and target demographic of nondegree workers seeking high-growth careers.
• Generation USA: Generation is a global nonprofit offering free, employer-aligned training programs in healthcare, tech, and skilled trades, with strong employer partnerships. SkillUp's Junior Web Developer program (Generation USA) demonstrates direct integration; comparable mission and outcome-focused model.
• Goodwill Industries International: Goodwill operates one of the largest US workforce development networks through its 150+ local organizations, providing career training, coaching, and placement services. It is comparable in mission, target demographic, and dependence on coalition/community partnerships.
• American Job Centers (Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act): A national network of 2,300+ federally funded workforce development centers providing free career counseling, training referrals, and job search assistance. Comparable core services (training referral, job matching, coaching) and free-to-user model.
• Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a large free educational nonprofit leveraging technology and partnerships (including with major foundations and tech companies). Comparable in nonprofit status, free user model, foundation-backed funding, and digital scale serving millions of learners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6jK3aDBi2q6K8cXjfR5Cj5Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skillupcoalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about SkillUp Coalition