The Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education is looking for innovative ideas to expand learning opportunities in the workplace. That’s why they launched the Career Z Challenge, a $2.5 million multi-phase federal competition.
The Career Z Challenge supports the Biden-Harris administration Raise the Bar: Unlock Professional Success initiative championed by the US Departments of Education, Labor and Commerce.
“Employers are struggling to fill vacancies. In 2022, there were more than 11 million job vacancies and only 6 million unemployed. Work-based learning increases opportunities and access for students to explore and develop skills to become active members of today’s workforce and succeed in their future careers,” said US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
As part of this challenge, the Department invites eligible participants to engage collaborative ecosystems of educators, businesses, industries, workforce professionals, and community actors to provide students interconnected and expansive career development opportunities and experiences from grades 9-12.
Semi-finalists and finalists will be eligible to receive targeted technical assistance including professional development support, webinars and training, networking with a peer community, and part of a $2.5 million prize pool of dollars.
Lessons learned from this challenge will inform resources and models that will support the growth and expansion of sustainable, high-quality workplace learning experiences for students nationwide.
Submissions for Phase 1 of the Career Z Challenge are due May 24, 2023.
Learn more and follow the challenge on https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=careerzchallenge.