Outmatch Launches New Outmatch Foundation and Announces Merit America as First Grant Recipient

Employee-led Foundation to connect people to their purpose with support for organizations that help unlock career opportunities for those who lack resources

Outmatch, the leading provider of digital hiring technologies, announced the official launch of the Outmatch Foundation to bring its mission of matching people with purpose to the broader community. The employee-led Foundation, which will remain a separate entity to OutMatch, will support organizations that work with people who have traditionally lacked access to career and educational resources, and help them unlock opportunities for success. The Foundation has selected Merit America, an organization that provides a path to skilled careers for adults without bachelor’s degrees, as its first grant recipient.

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“The COVID-19 pandemic has completely disrupted the job market, leaving millions of people without work and in some cases, no career to return to,” said Andrew D’Agostino, Director at OutMatch and Co-chair of the Foundation. “Unfortunately, reskilling and upskilling programs remain out of reach for many people, despite being necessary to make career moves that will set them up for long-term success. At the Outmatch Foundation, we believe the chance to succeed is a right, not a privilege. It is important that we find ways to equip people with the right tools and resources so they can embark on meaningful careers with the in-demand skills that employers in high-demand fields are looking for.”

As part of the OutMatch Foundation’s support for Merit America, it will be sponsoring a squad of up to 12 adults in Merit America’s IT Support track. The cohort of individuals will go through a 14-week program where they will be trained in skills needed to land an IT job. The program includes weekly small group meetings and individual sessions with a dedicated coach, as well as events open to the broader community. Upon completion, Merit America will work closely with each participant to help them secure relevant jobs.

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“Like the OutMatch Foundation, we share the same sentiment that people’s career journeys should not be defined by situations beyond their control,” said Rebecca Taber, Co-CEO of Merit America. “Everyone should have the opportunity to transform their career, which is why we are so grateful for OutMatch’s support for Merit America. This support will allow us to continue to train, reskill, and upskill talented adults for upwardly-mobile, recession-resilient careers.”

In addition to sponsoring a Merit America IT Support track, Outmatch and the OutMatch Foundation have been working with Merit America for the past two years in various capacities. Merit America utilizes OutMatch’s video interview software to screen and select candidates for its tracks and OutMatch employees have been participating in skills-based volunteering, conducting mock interviews with students in the program. In turn, OutMatch has made positive adjustments to how they hire by eliminating blanket bachelor requirements for most positions to make them more accessible to non-traditional candidates.

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