Onward | rcdesignwork

Empowering people without college degrees to attain family sustaining careers

Onward is a coalition of companies who have come together to build a career platform seeking to break down some of the systemic barriers that exist in the US, primarily focused on creating financial equality

The college barrier

For families where no one has gone to college, their ability to improve their socioeconomic standing is greatly limited, and the dream of sending children to college so that they may rise out of poverty is now more remote than ever

Qualitative interviews

In order to understand the needs of this group we conducted 2 rounds of qualitative interviews with a total of 20 participantss

User Insights

People from this demographic feel held back by their circumstances and lacking the tools to advance

I taught myself everything I know through trial and error - how to pump gas, how to make a resume, how to make a doctors appointment. It sounds simple. you would think your family members would teach it to you. I didn't have any of that

They are missing exposure to a range of career paths and unknowingly limit the number and types of careers they choose to pursue

I wanted to be a lawyer and I actually went through to the extent of being a paralegal but I stopped. I realized that it just wasn't for me. Maybe I should have continued..."

They worry the workplace will not be inclusive or supportive of people like them

I just feel it should be a positive environment, like if you're ever in a situation where you don't know what to do, you could ask your boss without feeling like a burden

You are in the right place

In order to build trust with our user quickly, we highlighted the mission of Onward as well as the complete offering of the platform

We wanted users to know it was designed for them, unlike platforms like LinkedIn, where they feel unwelcome

You know what you can get and who is involved

And let them know there are real opportunities and real companies before making them sign up

Highlighting what we have to offer, and showing that we are not wasting their time

We Meet you where you are at and provide a personalized experience

You can let us know what you need in order to be successful at work, from childcare, to what environments you thrive in

This data goes into the tool and provides a personalized career path base on your needs

Your tailored plan

Your career plan is tailored to your needs, breaking out next steps, mentors on the platform, and what companies are in our coalition who can help

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