Newsroom

By Richard Fry & Amanda Barroso, Pew Research Center, July 29, 2020 As COVID-19 cases have surged in the United States, young adults face a weakening labor market and an uncertain educational outlook. Between February and June 2020, the share of young adults who are neither enrolled in school nor employed – a measure some […]

We are thrilled to celebrate 24 amazing students from Edgewater High School and Jones High School who recently graduated from the Opportunity Jobs Academy (OJA). These students went above-and-beyond to complete a course of study that is traditionally held after school. Through the assistance of our job coaches, the majority of the curriculum was administered […]

By Alicia Sasser Modestino, FORTUNE, August 3, 2019 The U.S. is currently experiencing its longest stretch of continuous monthly job creation and the lowest unemployment rate (3.7%) in 50 years. And while a tight labor market often improves job prospects for typically hard-to-employ groups with fewer skills and less experience, the rate of teen employment […]

McDonald’s has it Hamburger University to help employees learn about the business. So why not Wal-Mart?   Today, the discount retailer formally unveiled its first Wal-Mart Training Academy in Illinois. The academy is located in northwest suburban Crystal Lake inside a Wal-Mart store there and supports a cluster of 17 stores in the region.   […]

President Barack Obama is using his first job as an ice-cream scooper at Baskin-Robbins to announce a new summer job initiative for young people. Obama announced the Summer Opportunity Project in a post on LinkedIn Thursday. “My first summer job wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it taught me some valuable lessons. Responsibility. Hard work. Balancing a […]

Freddie Wehbe has sold a majority stake in his Gator Domino’s pizza business to Tampa-area franchisees after 20 years that saw him turn one unprofitable store into one of the most successful franchises in the company and become a ubiquitous contributor to charity events and nonprofit organizations. Wehbe, 49, said he wants to spend more […]

Instead of waiting on a glass slipper, women are shattering glass ceilings. Below, you’ll find two women who turned moments of difficulty into sources of opportunity — one in home-healthcare, the other in fitness. Their stories — like those in our Women to Watch slideshow — are inspiring, and their business savvy is impressive. Read […]

At our firm, some of the most often-repeated advice to clients is to find ways to help mayors and cities solve problems. The logic behind this mantra is about changing the narrative and perception around hourly employers (particularly those in the restaurant, retail and hospitality industries) by demonstrating how the jobs and the associated “ladder […]

Unlike the bread products he has made for most of his life, former baker and Kearney resident Ken Morioni didn’t take time to rest before jumping back into a kitchen after being laid off from Caravan Ingredients in June. Morioni now owns Luciano’s Pizza & Subs, an Italian deli-style restaurant that held a test opening […]

To staff the hundreds of servers, cooks and sales associates needed at once to work new storefronts opening at Liberty Center, employers promoted career opportunities in the restaurant industry. A front-line position can be a stepping stone to management and corporate jobs in the future, industry experts say.