Business Roundtable (BRT) is an association of chief executive officers of America’s leading companies, working to promote a thriving U.S. economy and expanded opportunity for all Americans. Through its initiatives on workforce development and education, BRT champions skills-first strategies that align talent development with business needs. The organization advocates for scalable solutions to help companies close skills gaps and build resilient, future-ready workforces.

C-BEN is driving transformation to change how industries use skills in education, training, and hiring. Our network is where passion, collaboration, and a commitment to excellence combine to create a better path forward. By coordinating research, resources, and a robust member network, C-BEN accelerates the growth of skills-based learning and hiring.

Credential Engine is a nonprofit organization working to bring transparency and interoperability to the credentialing marketplace. By developing and maintaining the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) and the open-access Credential Registry, Credential Engine empowers employers, educators, and learners to make informed decisions. Their tools support the adoption of skills-first practices by clarifying how credentials signal competencies, supporting more equitable hiring and advancement.

Education Design Lab is national nonprofit and intermediary with a mission to co-design an inclusive, skills-based learn+work system that facilitates upward economic mobility and closes opportunity gaps for the New Majority Learner. Our facilitated design process helps employer and education stakeholder groups co-design and launch scalable, skills-based education-to-work pathways that align talent supply and demand.

Grads of Life is the advisory, consulting, and thought leadership arm of Year Up United. We equip leading employers nationwide with compelling research, innovative diagnostic tools, strategic advisory services, and dynamic learning & development solutions to scale the adoption of skills-first practices, transforming how companies find, hire, and grow talent.

Jobs for the Future (JFF) transforms U.S. education and workforce systems to drive economic success for people, businesses, and communities. One of the many ways JFF transforms these systems is by supporting companies with adoption of skills-first talent practices. Through individualized advisory services, trainings, and actionable tools, JFF helps businesses take practical steps toward accessing new talent pools and future-proofing their workforce management strategies.

The open-access digital library collects, curates, and shares information to illuminate the many facets of the learn-and-work ecosystem. Whether educator, employer, policymaker, or worker, our aim is to provide resources that make navigating this complex space a little easier. Areas of focus for employers and their partners include skills-based hiring; talent development; policy guides; key terms; and technology, innovation, and digital tools.  

We’re building a labor market where all Americans can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. Because right now, highly skilled STARs (workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes) are overlooked simply because they don’t have a bachelor’s degree. The result of today’s broken labor market? Unfilled positions, restricted economic mobility, and stalled industry and economic growth. Opportunity@Work’s mission is to generate $20 billion in wage gains for STARs. We are driving action and clarity by providing insights, customized tools, and services to advance skills-first hiring practices so STARs can thrive. No organization can do this alone – we must work together, on purpose.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation drives innovative employer-led solutions to create pathways for workers to access quality jobs. Through initiatives like the T3 Innovation Network and the Job Data Exchange (JDX), the Foundation helps employers signal their needs in skills-based language, creating more transparent and dynamic talent pipelines. As a trusted voice for the business community, USCCF plays a critical role in shaping the infrastructure for skills-first hiring.