Ad Council Launches Workforce Readiness Campaign with Apple, IBM, the White House and Business Leaders

National initiative helps Americans “Find Something New” by pursuing education and training paths for in-demand career skills

Find your path at FindSomethingNew.org

NEW YORK, NY (July 14, 2020) – The Ad Council today announced Find Something New, an unprecedented national campaign created in collaboration with Apple, IBM and the White House, with support from more than 200 public, private and nonprofit members of Business Roundtable and the White House’s American Workforce Policy Advisory Board (AWPAB).

With nearly 18 million Americans out of work amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the new campaign will help people of all ages, experiences and backgrounds develop their skills for the rapidly changing job market. The campaign encourages Americans to “find something new” at FindSomethingNew.org, which offers resources to explore a wide range of education and training options, including online and virtual learning.

• Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council, said:
  “The job market has been shaken in ways none of us have ever seen. Many Americans need a new way forward and developing their career skills can expand their opportunities. Our Find Something New campaign, backed by an extraordinary coalition of supporters, will empower people all across the country to find the education and training path that’s right for them.”
• Tim Cook, CEO of Apple and co-chair of the AWPAB working group responsible for this campaign, said:
  “Now more than ever, we need to ensure that everyone has the tools they need to succeed and seize new opportunities. To invest in our future, we have to invest in people, in education and the many paths to a well-paying job or starting a new business. This initiative is about empowering people across the nation to discover a more hopeful future for themselves and their families."
• Joshua Bolten, President and CEO of Business Roundtable, representing the CEOs of America’s largest employers, said:
  “At a time of uncertainty, business leaders are focused on supporting multiple education pathways that will provide more assurances of economic mobility for Americans. Our CEOs are all-in on this campaign because they firmly believe multiple pathways to a career will expand economic opportunity for more Americans and increase the shared goal of a more diverse workforce.”
• Ginni Rometty, IBM Executive Chairman and co-chair of the AWPAB working group responsible for this campaign, said:
  “IBM is proud to support the Find Something New campaign as part of our commitment to ensuring that the Digital Era is inclusive and one in which Americans from all socioeconomic backgrounds can participate in the modern economy. Find Something New will help more Americans discover new pathways to skills training and new collar careers, which is essential as our country and economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
• Ivanka Trump, Advisor to the President and co-chair of the AWPAB, said:
  “This bold campaign launched by the Ad Council is the realization of great work by the White House’s Workforce Advisory Council and the Pledge to America’s Workers. There has never been a more critical time for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to be aware of the multiple pathways to career success and gain the vocational training and skills they need to fill jobs in a changing economy. While we celebrate and encourage American innovation, we recognize the responsibility of both the public and private sectors to invest in American workers and ensure that they are reconnected with good jobs and prepared for the future. The White House is proud to support the Ad Council through this campaign and will continue to champion all avenues that support American workers and families.”

The Find Something New campaign will appear nationwide in donated time and space across all platforms, including TV, digital, print and out of home. Omnicom media agency OMD is donating media strategy and outreach to support the campaign. Acxiom, Cox Communications, The CW Network, Facebook, Fox Corporation, NBCUniversal and Snap Inc. are among the media organizations who have committed significant support.

The ads direct audiences to FindSomethingNew.org, a new website with resources to help students and adults across the U.S. identify and pursue the right path for their career goals. The website offers an interactive tool that recommends education pathways for each user, information about rising careers to consider and a directory of resources for life services like childcare, food assistance and internet access. Pathways featured include online learning, professional certification programs, associate’s degrees and vocational, technical and trades education.

The campaign ads feature stories from real individuals who found fulfilling careers after embracing new ways of learning. The ads were created pro bono by EightBar, a collective of WPP talent dedicated to IBM, and were filmed remotely to accommodate social distancing.

The AWPAB and Business Roundtable are mobilizing their members and additional leading private companies, policymakers and nonprofit organizations to amplify the campaign’s message and share their commitment to training and hiring workers with these valuable skills. Through the White House’s Pledge to America’s Workers, over 440 leading corporations and trade associations have committed to offering over 16 million training opportunities for American workers over the next five years.

Funding for the campaign is provided by 20 organizations who are committed to promoting workforce readiness for the American public:

• Apple
• AT&T Inc.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• Business Roundtable
• Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Duke Energy Corporation
• General Motors Company
• The Home Depot
• IBM
• Johnson & Johnson
• JP Morgan Chase & Co.
• Lockheed Martin
• National Association of Manufacturers
• SAP America
• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)
• United Technologies Corporation
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
• Visa
• Walmart
• Western Governors University

About the Ad Council:
The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation’s most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels. Its innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.

About the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board:
The American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, comprised of 25 business, education, government and not-for-profit leaders and co-chaired by Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, provides advice and recommendations to the interagency National Council for the American Worker, a council created by executive order under President Trump. The AWPAB seeks ways to encourage the private sector and educational institutions to combat the skills crisis by investing in and increasing demand-driven education, training, and re-training, including training through apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities. To learn more, visit https://www.commerce.gov/americanworker/american-workforce-policy-advisory-board.

About Business Roundtable:
Business Roundtable CEO members lead companies with more than 15 million employees and $7.5 trillion in revenues. The combined market capitalization of Business Roundtable member companies is the equivalent of over 27 percent of total U.S. stock market capitalization, and Business Roundtable members invest nearly $147 billion in research and development – equal to over 40 percent of total U.S. private R&D spending. Our companies pay $296 billion in dividends to shareholders and generate $488 billion in revenues for small and medium-sized businesses. Business Roundtable companies also make more than $8 billion in charitable contributions.

About EightBar:
With offices in 20+ countries around the world, EightBar is a collective of WPP talent dedicated to IBM and focused on making IBM’s brand matter and its business perform.

About OMD:
OMD Worldwide is the world’s largest media network with more than 13,000 people working in over 100 countries. Named Adweek’s Global Media Agency of the Year in 2019 and 2020, OMD – an Omnicom Media Group agency – is currently ranked the world’s most effective media agency network in the Effie Effectiveness Index.

Media Contact:
Glover Park Group
Ron Boehmer
[email protected]
202-741-1999

Ad Council launches workforce readiness campaign with Apple, IBM, the White House and Business Leaders to help Americans #FindSomethingNew Tweet