In light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and a rising number of lost jobs, Boulder-based Techstars has announced a new accelerator that will work with startups to address the challenges of the current labor market.
The Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator is accepting applications from global startups developing products and/or services focused on the advancement of students and a skilled and relevant workforce, with applications to the U.S. market.
The accelerator, run in partnership with ZOMALAB, Strada Education Network and Colorado Thrives, will accept 10 startups for the 13-week program in Denver, scheduled to kick-off in November.
The program will be led by Managing Director Taylor McLemore, serial entrepreneur and founder of Patriot Boot Camp, a Boulder-based 501(c)(3) that supports active duty members, veterans and their spouses in their entrepreneurial efforts.
"Technology is rapidly reshaping our global workforce and the skills required to engage in our modern world," McLemore, a 2013 Techstars Boulder graduate, said in a statement. "In this global health and economic crisis, startup founders are being offered a challenge: how can we accelerate the solutions and innovations needed by millions of students, workers, and employers? Building a path to improve how people work, do their best work and get back to work is critical. This accelerator is an opportunity to have significant and long-term impact. There is no greater challenge than how we as a global community get people back into the workforce in productive, meaningful jobs."
The accelerator aims to democratize access to high quality training, networks and jobs; enable individuals to make informed decisions about the professional pathways that best suit them; promote and increase awareness of non-degree pathways to employment; and support businesses in closing skill gaps and opportunity seekers in building professional networks.
Techstars is looking for companies developing technologies like tools that help workers navigate the changing landscape of work, as well as platforms and financial tools supporting training, re-skilling, formal education and building relevant connections.
Unlike other Techstars accelerators, the program will engage two additional nonprofit organizations, sponsored by grants from Colorado Thrives, to participate in the three-month program to benefit from the accelerator, though they will not receive investment funding. The nonprofits will be sourced by both Colorado Thrives and Techstars through a separate application process that will be announced later this summer.
The Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator is currently set to take place in Denver starting November 2, culminating in a demo day on February 11, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Techstars said it will evaluate the potential of a running a virtual program during the summer.
