The Nielsen Foundation will dedicate $250,000 over the next three years to support motivated young adults seeking to launch their careers with living-wage job opportunities.

Through Year Up, grant funds will be used to develop and expand pilot programs to effectively reach a greater number of young adults with Year Up’s workforce development model. Research highlights how Year Up’s job training program has generated a significant, sustainable increase in earnings and employment for program participants for at least four years following program completion. With funding from the Nielsen Foundation, Year Up will identify strategies to adapt its evidence-based approach through pilot programs to reach a broader group of young adults, employers, geographies and industries in a way that is cost-effective, replicable and scalable.

“We are grateful for the support of the Nielsen Foundation as we scale our proven program to serve 28,000 more young people by 2025,” said Gerald Chertavian, Year Up Founder and CEO. “This grant will allow us to provide high quality, effective pathways for thousands of deserving young adults into the livable wage careers that they deserve.”

In partnership with community colleges, nonprofits and employers across the United States, these pilots will support young adults—the majority of whom identify as Black, Latino or Latina, or other people of color—to develop the technical, business and interpersonal skills and build the work-based learning experience necessary to secure in-demand, living-wage career opportunities.

“We are thrilled to support the mission of Year Up. As a foundation that believes in the power of data to bridge divides and drive positive change, this three-year grant is an opportunity for us to support the growth of an effective, data-driven workforce development model,” said Andrea Bertels, President and Executive Director, Grantmaking, Nielsen Foundation. “Year Up’s long-standing work to provide more young adults with living-wage jobs is more important than ever to drive economic mobility and equity.”

The Nielsen Foundation envisions a more equitable world where everyone counts and everyone has opportunities to succeed. Its mission is to support organizations that give voice and opportunities to historically under-represented groups and communities. Grants from the Nielsen Foundation encourage educational access and persistence, promote economic mobility and well-being, and advance representation in media and technology.