Higher ed institutions and employers can boost their efforts to support career advancement for Black learners and workers. A framework from Jobs for the Future (JFF) – in partnership with University of Phoenix – offers suggestions including peer mentoring, paid work-based learning, and building partnerships for intentional and inclusive hiring.

The framework – Professional Social Capital: A Key to Black Economic Advancement – notes, “Professional social capital – the crucial connections, networks, and resources that help people understand, access, and navigate educational systems and the labor market—is a proven accelerant to learner and worker success in today’s society.”

Upon release of the framework, Michael Collins, vice president at JFF and leader of the organization’s Center for Racial Economic Equity, stated, “Many education and workplace strategies for Black learners and workers only focus on credential attainment, but this is not enough to solve education and economic disparities, as Black Americans continue to have less systemic access to build and maintain professional social capital.”

The framework offers calls to action to support Black learners and workers gain professional social capital. These include making leadership- and resource-backed commitments to equity and creating safe, inclusive environments that are co-designed by Black learners and workers.

“This framework offers tangible recommendations to postsecondary institutions and employers to ensure Black Americans have the necessary tools and resources to thrive in higher education and throughout their career,” said Collins.

Read Professional Social Capital: A Key to Black Economic Advancement here.