Evoca will be bringing it ATSC 3.0 based cable replacement to Phoenix later this summer and will be helping citizens learn new job skills that can get them back to work after a very tough year. Evoca announced a partnership today with Unmudl, the Skills-to-Jobs Marketplace, to develop a critically missing piece of national educational infrastructure for adult learners. Unmudl and Evoca will work together to create the first locally relevant television channel for adult learners seeking short-term courses and credentials to advance their job prospects and navigate the future of work. Evoca started its TV service in Boise Idaho with an aim to develop a way to use Next Gen TV capability to deliver a new kind of TV product to underserved areas. By working with Unmudl, the TV company will be setting up a system that could be a model for the rest of the country, which has had to adjust to instruction via screen due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Together the pair will curate and produce multi-platform programming and services to inform learners about training and job opportunities and to connect them with community and technical colleges, employers, and social supports. This new channel, called Path enables R&D opportunities for interactive experiences and seamless handoffs to educational providers and employers, extending Unmudl’s online marketplace to the new medium. In partnership with others, the pair will design and test the effort in Phoenix, AZ and Boise and Twin Falls, ID followed by additional markets with the intent to scale nationally.
“Unmudl bridges the gap between adult working learners and job skills training and college credit towards degrees. Now, together with Evoca, we’ll be overcoming even more barriers by reaching people in their homes, connecting them to information and resources about how to become qualified for new and better jobs,” said Unmudl CEO, Parminder Jassal. “Our ultimate vision is for a more equitable, sustainable future and this partnership is an important step forward in creating new paths to better jobs paying family-supporting wages.”
The need for a more broadly accessible, curated, and skills-based adult learning infrastructure is strong as there are more than 32 million adults* who could benefit from this type of resource. Initial efforts as part of this collaboration include:
- Highlighting stories and voices of learners and their educational and career experiences, changing the narrative around skills and technical education based paths
- Curating and producing programming to bring practical news about jobs and educational trends to working learners and those seeking employment
- R&D including spinning up time-sensitive workforce development programs, and enrollment to and through the Unmudl marketplace from television
“Television has been a missing piece of the picture in reaching adult learners. We can actually do something about that with the reach, efficiency, capacity and interactivity of our platform,” said Evoca President and CEO, Todd Achilles. “The current approach leaves many unaware of their options and their potential. We are excited to work with Unmudl and their collaborative network of community colleges and employers.”
