SkillUp Coalition, the leading career services platform connecting job seekers without a college degree with high-quality training and job opportunities, has launched SkillUp AI — a human-centered, AI agent designed to provide users with personalized career navigation tailored to their unique skills and goals.
Built in collaboration with AdeptID, Brighthive and SkillUp technology partner, WhereWeGo, SkillUp AI represents a bold, collaborative effort to address the complex challenges individuals skilled through alternative routes (STARs) face in navigating their career journeys. Made possible through the generous support of the Gates Foundation, Cognizant, Schultz Family Foundation, Charles Koch Foundation, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and others, this initiative ensures STARs can access career guidance that is ethical, transparent and focused on measurable impact.
“SkillUp AI is more than just another AI tool. It’s a collaboration built with humility, conviction and a clear goal: to help STARs secure high-quality employment,” said Steve Lee, CEO of SkillUp Coalition. “This project is rooted in a shared mindset of continuous learning and rigorous evaluation. The real question isn’t whether AI can work, but whether it provides real, positive impact. For workers who’ve been overlooked, that proof matters.”
SkillUp AI is uniquely positioned to:
- Guide STARs quickly and effectively: Users receive curated, quality career pathways, training options and job opportunities aligned to their skills, experience and location.
- Put worker outcomes first: Rigorous evaluation — led by MDRC — will measure SkillUp AI’s real-world impact on employment, ensuring STARs are supported with proven tools.
- Leverage collective innovation: SkillUp’s trusted platform, combined with AdeptID and Brighthive’s technical expertise, delivers an engaging and inclusive user experience.
“Bringing a tool like SkillUp AI to market — one that meets STARs where they are while delivering real results — is no small feat,” Lee continued. “It’s why this collective effort matters so much. We believe the power of collaboration can overcome even the most complex challenges facing the workforce today.”
“Cognizant is proud to support SkillUp AI as it works to scale personalized career navigation,” said Emma Fisher, Managing Director of Corporate Affairs, Cognizant. “The collaboration is a great example of how technological advancements can democratize access to expertise and personalized coaching, which were previously limited, but essential support functions.”
SkillUp AI offers a transformative approach to career exploration that reduces search fatigue, increases user confidence and accelerates economic mobility for non-degree workers across the country. The tool is actively in beta to collect user inputs as part of a comprehensive evaluation initiative with MDRC and is expected to be fully integrated into the SkillUp platform this spring.
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