Initiatives

Goal 1

Prepare our most vulnerable students and graduates of 2020-2023 for security and success in the post-pandemic economy

  • Fast Track (Applied Learning for In-Demand Digital + Human Skills) The University of Arizona

    Fast Track will aim to address inequities in immediate career outcomes, or the time between graduation and being hired and assigned a starting salary. The initiative will benefit first-generation college graduates and members of underserved minority groups that experience income disparity in any academic discipline or career field. The initiative will also be opened to any interested student planning to graduate in majors other than Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Nursing or other career-specific majors. Fast Track success will include increasing the number of students who graduate with specific digital and people skills in-demand in the entry level employment marketplace.

Goal 2

Support and partner with our communities and government in an inclusive recovery through and after COVID-19, focusing on displaced workers, adult learners, PK-12 systems, economic development, community health and COVID-19 support

  • Finding Opportunities and Resources to Grow Entrepreneurs (FORGE) The University of Arizona

    Finding Opportunities and Resources to Grow Entrepreneurs (FORGE) is a new unit at the University of Arizona dedicated to cultivating entrepreneurial thinking on campus while simultaneously advancing an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the community. In addition to the devastating health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, local businesses have also struggled to survive and created challenges for those hoping to start new businesses. The Advanced Entrepreneur Program (AEP) responds directly to these community and economic needs by offering early-stage entrepreneurs with an 8-week ‘business bootcamp’ that covers customer discovery, market validation, and team formation with the aim of preparing them for launch or incubation.