UNCF Launches $50M Career Pathways Initiative to Support HBCUs

Thirty colleges have been selected as planning grant awardees for UNCF’s new Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), a highly-competitive grant process open to four-year historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and predominantly black institutions (PBIs) to help students gain the knowledge, preparation, insight and skills needed for meaningful employment upon graduation.

Lilly Endowment, Inc., committed $50 million in October 2015 to launch the UNCF Career Pathways Initiative to improve the job placement outcomes of graduates from HBCUs and PBIs.

UNCF Career Pathways Initiative distributes $2.55 million in planning grants to selected HBCUs and PBIs, with the potential to assist 66,000 students improve job placement outcomes.

“The UNCF Career Pathways Initiative is not only important to HBCUs and PBIs, it is important for the entire American higher education system and the American global economy,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, UNCF president and CEO. “CPI will serve as a model of best practices for all colleges and universities to follow, in order to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our students and the demands of the ever-changing marketplace for talent. We’re excited that HBCUs and PBIs will be at the forefront of this new and impactful venture. We applaud all of the institutions that put their best foot forward in the interest of their students’ future careers, and we commend the 30 institutions that were selected.” >> Read More