Education and Workforce Workforce Spotlight: Best Buy Chairman and CEO Hubert Joly

This week’s #WorkforceWednesday features Hubert Joly, Chairman and CEO of Best Buy Co. Inc.

As Joly explains, Best Buy is taking action to close the skills gap by providing underserved teens with access to technology, tech education and workforce readiness skills:

“Many young people in underserved communities do not have opportunities to develop technology and computer skills that are essential for success in school, work and adult life. We are committed to bridging this opportunity gap. Through community partnerships and hands-on training programs, Best Buy is offering more young people a chance to discover new passions, develop career skills and prepare for jobs of the future.”

Here’s a look at ongoing tech education and workforce readiness initiatives led by Best Buy and CEO Hubert Joly. Additional information can be found here.

The Problem

• Technology proficiency is crucial in today’s job market, but many people do not have the tech skills needed for current and future employment opportunities.
• By 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that nearly 560,000 jobswill be created in computer and information technology occupations — reinforcing the need to help students and adult learners develop the required skills for these jobs and other high-tech occupations.

The Programs

Best Buy uses its national network of stores, employees, and community partnerships to offer signature programs that increase tech education opportunities for underserved teens. These programs and partnerships include:

• Best Buy Teen Tech Centers: These free, year-round, after-school programs offer teens an opportunity to develop critical skills through hands-on activities — exploring programming, filmmaking, music production and design. Best Buy partners with local nonprofits to host Teen Tech Centers in underserved communities, and the company’s Geek Squad agents and sales associates volunteer to help teach important tech skills. By 2020, Best Buy plans to nearly triple the number of Teen Tech Centers from 11 to 30.

• Geek Squad Academy (GSA): Offers free, two-day technology camps for youth ages 10–18 throughout the country. Classes focus on exposing students to robotics, programming, music creation, digital animation and more.
• EveryoneOn Partnership: Best Buy partners with EveryoneOn, which works to close the digital divide and teach digital literacy skills to teens and families living in public housing communities.

The Progress

The efforts of Best Buy and Chief Executive Hubert Joly continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of underserved youth. Outcomes of its tech education programs and partnerships include:

• Over the past decade, Best Buy has supported more than 4.5 million youth through Best Buy Foundation partnerships with local nonprofit organizations.
• According to a survey of students who participated in Best Buy’s Teen Tech Centers, 92 percent believe they will use the skills acquired in future careers, and 94 percent plan to continue their education beyond high school.
• In 2017, Geek Squad Academy reached more than 8,500 teens through 40 camps in 39 U.S. cities.

To learn more about Best Buy’s workforce development initiatives and ongoing efforts of other Business Roundtable CEO member companies, please visit: https://www.businessroundtable.org/skills