Generation, the global nonprofit employment network, today announced that it has surpassed the milestone of 25,000 graduates across 16 countries since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, placing thousands of people into jobs and bringing total graduates to 65,000 since it launched more than seven years ago.

With the combined commitment of Generation's Global Jobs Recovery coalition – The BlackRock Foundation, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft Corp., and Verizon – the organization has trained, placed, and supported people of all ages into careers that would otherwise be inaccessible. In these new jobs, the 25,000 pandemic graduates have together already earned more than $140 million in salary income.

"We are thrilled to reach this milestone alongside our collaborators, and we are inspired by the hard work and dedication of the thousands of individuals who have transformed their lives through our programs during the pandemic," said Mona Mourshed, Founding Global CEO of Generation. "We have seen firsthand how, even in remote environments, people can learn new skills, demonstrate talents, and excel in the workplace. But truly inclusive employment still faces many challenges, and we continue to work alongside employers, governments, and practitioners to create opportunities for talented candidates of every race, gender, ethnicity, and educational background."

Notably, while the majority of Generation's programs moved permanently to online or blended delivery during the pandemic, results have remained strong. 74% of graduates have been placed in jobs within 3 months of program completion, rising to 85% within 6 months. They earn 3-4 times the income they had prior to Generation. At one year after job placement, 78% remain employed.

The individuals that Generation serves typically face a variety of challenges before participating in the employment program. 40% have been unemployed for 6 months or longer. For 2020 graduates, only 38% of them report being able to afford daily needs prior to the Generation program whereas 81% of them say they can do so today. They are a diverse group as well. Two-thirds of this group of pandemic graduates has only secondary school education or vocational training, 53% are female, the majority are from underrepresented communities where they live, and more than 30% have dependents.

Per dollar of support Generation has received to date from the Global Jobs Recovery coalition, these 25,000 graduates have generated $2.74 in earnings. The organization expects these graduates to earn an additional $474.5 million through 2027, which means that each dollar of philanthropic support to Generation will have produced $11.85 in five-year earnings for this group.

In late 2020, Generation received a commitment of $77 million in new funding and $50 million in in-kind resources over two years from BlackRock, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft Corp., and Verizon, encompassing cash funding, in-kind resources, and connections to employers in their ecosystems for Generation graduates. To date, this support, alongside that of other national and local funders, has enabled the significant expansion of Generation's collaboration with governments and other workforce partners, globally, supporting the embedding of Generation's approach within large-scale, existing systems.

Generation's work with its partners continues, and the organization expects to have 20,000 graduates in 2022, growing from ~12,000 last year.