We believe that everyone should be able to pursue their dreams.

STRIVE is the nation’s leading solution for people who face the biggest obstacles to employment. Our proven model propels students into careers that lead to upward mobility and access to the promise of the American Dream. When people are determined to lift up their lives, STRIVE provides the path to a career that changes everything.

Our Mission is to help people acquire the life-changing skills and attitudes needed to overcome challenging circumstances, find sustained employment, and become valuable contributors to their families, their employers, and their communities.

Our Vision

THE CHALLENGE

THE SOLUTION

STRIVE closes the opportunity gap.

Our results are proven. STRIVE helps a population seeking a better life acquire the skills and attitudes they need to find sustained employment. The majority of people who walk through our doors have no source of income, yet the majority of graduates go on to gain meaningful employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency.

STRIVE has a 36-year track record of serving people who face the greatest obstacles to employment.

More than a job.

As the economy has shifted, STRIVE has continued to refine our model in order to equip our students with the skills they need to not just get a job, but to obtain employment with career growth opportunities. STRIVE trains men and women in skills that employers need and that meet the demands of today’s workforce.

THE STRIVE DIFFERENCE

Our proven Five-pillar Model.

STRIVE developed our proprietary, 5-pillar workforce model in New York and has continuously fine-tuned this model, gaining national recognition for our high job placement and retention. We achieve that difficult goal by addressing each individual’s personal barriers, and teaching them the interpersonal skills they need to succeed in any job environment.

STRIVE has spent decades scaling our programming with partners across the nation and developing expertise in successful program replication. Affiliates in 12 cities now serve their communities with STRIVE’s proven model.

CAREER READINESS TRAINING 
Career Readiness Training is delivered through STRIVE’s signature workshop, STRIVE START, which prepares students with the professional mindset, behaviors, and attitudes needed to thrive at work. Delivered through a work-simulated environment, students will develop financial capability, essential digital skills and online reputation management. 

OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING  
Occupational Skills Training helps students develop technical skills in various career paths that align with local labor market demand and employer needs. In this workshop, students will receive on-the-job training through our employer partners. Upon completing the workshop, students will receive one or more industry-recognized credentials. 

CAREER COACHING 
Career Coaching helps students overcome difficult circumstances and establish their career goals. Students will receive one-on-one support with child support and care, housing and food insecurity, financial literacy and management, challenges for justice-involved students, mental health and wellness, and access to technology.

JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE 
STRIVE’s employment specialist will connect students to STRIVE’s robust employer network and secure jobs that match their skills and interests. Additionally, this workshop will prepare graduates to navigate the interview process.

LIFETIME SUPPORT  
After graduation, STRIVE will continuously provide alumni mentorship and coaching. Alumni will have access to our support services and the opportunity to continue training or upskilling with STRIVE as they advance in their careers.

Our model is a solution that works.

A unique attitudinal approach
One of the “secrets” of STRIVE’s success is our focus on attitude. Before individuals receive occupational skills training, all participants must enroll in STRIVE START for job readiness training that instills the attitudes and behaviors people need for success in work and in life.

Long-term, wraparound support
For our participants, STRIVE represents support, delivered through comprehensive wraparound services designed to address barriers that prevent career growth. Even after graduates find employment, STRIVE continues its long-term commitment to the lifetime success of our graduates.

STRIVE’s approach is transformational, not transactional
It takes a comprehensive, holistic, personalized commitment to help each student succeed. When the student is transformed and excelling at work, their families and communities thrive as a result.

Our Growth Plan: STRIVE HIGHER

Today, the need for STRIVE’s services is greater than ever. Even with a strong economy, 5 million adults were unemployed in 2019. That number has now risen to 11 million. The pandemic made a hard situation even worse for those who were trying to escape poverty, and damaged many families’ ability to make a decent living.

In this problem, STRIVE sees an opportunity… and has a solution. STRIVE has access to a pipeline of untapped talent for middle-skill jobs that are going unfilled—workers who are determined to succeed. We are ready with a comprehensive model that trains them in the skills and behaviors that employers need and that create a path to careers.

STRIVE is bringing our nationally-recognized model to a new level in new cities across the country, with funding from the Gates Foundation. After an extensive strategic planning process, we have three goals as we embark on a period of growth:

1. Elevate Programs through applying proven standards from STRIVE New York across all STRIVE sites and building more evidence-based practices.

2. Build Careers by aligning and enhancing credentials in industries with high demand and a path to a sustainable career.

3. Grow Impact by preparing 10,000 students for a career over the next five years and opening the first ever STRIVE-operated sites outside of New York.

Partner with us to lend your knowledge, connections, and support as STRIVE empowers people across the country.