Comcast Commits $35M To Support Hundreds of Community Organizations in Expanding Economic Opportunity for the “Team of Tomorrow”

PHILADELPHIA, September 13, 2024 /3BL/ - Comcast announced a $35 million commitment to hundreds of community organizations this year to help train the “Team of Tomorrow” — the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and creators — by supporting access to opportunities, technology, and digital skills.

Between July 26 and September 28, Comcast NBCUniversal will bring the excitement and inspiration of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to millions. As Team USA competes to achieve their dreams, Comcast’s investment will help bring the spirit of the Games to community partners who work to encourage, support, and motivate the next generation to realize theirs. This funding is part of Project UP — Comcast's comprehensive commitment to connect people to the Internet, support digital skills and jobs programs, and advance economic mobility.

“Just like athletes need to train to compete and succeed, the same is true of the next generation. Training to develop digital skills is key for emerging talent to excel in the digital economy,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation & President, Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. “Together with our nonprofit partners, we’re proud to provide opportunities across all the communities we serve to help accelerate the success of the Team of Tomorrow”

Data from the National Skills Coalition (NSC) reveals that 92 percent of all jobs require digital skills but nearly one-third of U.S. workers lack basic digital skills, especially in lower-income communities and communities of color. According to a recent survey by NSC, respondents agree that access to digital skilling unlocks more job opportunities, higher pay, and faster career advancements with 82 percent of those surveyed supporting increased funding for digital skills training.

Comcast’s investment spans supporting nonprofit partners that are making impact at scale in the areas of research, digital skills training, entrepreneurship, and creativity. This includes Jobs for the Future, which will commission new collaborative research through its Center for Artificial Intelligence & the Future of Work and its Center for Racial Economic Equity; Per Scholas, a leading tech training nonprofit that integrates technical education with professional development; 2Gether-International, which provides disabled start-up entrepreneurs with the tools and resources needed to be leaders in their respective industries; BUILD.org, a youth-focused organization that helps students to build career success, entrepreneurial mindsets, and opportunity; and Wide Angle Youth Media, which provides media arts education to thousands of youth in Baltimore.

In addition, there is NBCU Academy, the company’s award-winning education program for developing new skills and advancing careers in journalism, media, and technology.

By strategically funding organizations that are deeply embedded in communities large and small, Comcast is helping to bridge the skills and opportunity gap, creating economic mobility for generations to come.

“Underinvestment in the disability community has deprived many talented individuals of opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the economy. With Comcast’s support, we are on track to create a pipeline of 3,000 to 5,000 disabled entrepreneurs that we support annually by 2030, while continuing to emphasize that expanding opportunities for people with disability can be an asset for economic growth,” said Diego Mariscal, CEO and Founder of 2Gether-International, and former Mexican National Paralympian.