At Eckerd Connects, our 2025–2029 Strategic Plan builds on more than five decades of service and innovation to empower individuals, strengthen communities, and expand pathways to meaningful careers and life success. Through four strategic focus areas, we are driving measurable improvements in outcomes, broadening our reach to support more young people, co-creating solutions to critical social challenges, and reinforcing the foundation that enables our mission to thrive. Together, these priorities guide our work, deepen our impact, and pave the way for a future where every person has the opportunity to realize their potential.
Advancing Opportunity: Our Strategic Focus Areas for Lasting Impact
Improving Outcomes for Those We Serve
GOAL:
Deliver a consistent, high-quality program model across all services, ensuring that every individual benefits from a proven, impactful approach.
How We’re Doing It:
- Evaluating our high-impact program services across all business segments in order to refine, implement, and promulgate best practices.
- Enhancing real-time data tracking for program success measurement.
- Expanding Eckerd Connects’ Success Awards to help individuals overcome financial barriers.
- Perfecting our network and collaboration with local organizations that provide crucial wraparound services to our clients, such as transportation, housing, and childcare solutions.
Expanding Our Reach to Support More Young People
GOAL:
Expand Job Corps and WIOA-funded workforce training programs for youth and adults.
How We’re Doing It:
- Strengthening employer partnerships to create real career pathways.
- Enhancing support for skills-based training and credentialing.
- Expanding Work-Based Learning internship experiences to connect students with real jobs.
Eckerd Connects partners with Amazon to provide career pathways in logistics, technology, and operations for young adults and job seekers. Through this collaboration, we connect individuals with hands-on training, work-based learning opportunities, and direct employment pipelines at Amazon facilities across the country. By aligning our workforce development programs with Amazon’s high-demand career fields, we help individuals gain the skills needed for long-term success in today’s evolving job market.
Our partnership with CVS Health is a prime example of how public-private collaborations can create life-changing career opportunities. By working together, we provide pharmacy technician training, externships, and direct hiring opportunities for Job Corps students and workforce participants. This initiative not only helps individuals enter a fast-growing healthcare industry but also supports CVS Health’s commitment to building a skilled and diverse workforce.
Building Solutions to Address Critical Social Challenges
GOAL:
Focus on high-impact solutions for our target populations to create sustainable impact and address root causes at scale.
How We’re Doing It:
- Engaging employers, government agencies, and educators to co-create solutions.
- Expanding partnerships with CVS, Amazon, Home Depot, and other national, regional, and local businesses for job placement and future workforce innovations.
- Strengthening regional and national workforce collaborations to align training with market needs.
“With Eckerd Connects, we’re not just preparing individuals for jobs; we’re building pathways to fulfilling careers.”
Colin Newman, Amazon
Director of Workforce & Economic Development
“As the skills gap in the U.S. widens, CVS Health recognizes the important role externships, which offer on-the-job training with classroom instruction, play in building a pipeline of future skilled talent… By working with Job Corps, we are able to provide traditionally underserved groups with opportunities for employment at CVS Pharmacy, as well as help build a talented and diverse workforce for our company.”
David Casey, Senior Vice President
Workforce Strategies and Chief Diversity Officer
Developing a Strong Foundation to Support Our Mission
GOAL:
Expand organizational infrastructure to build essential capacities and invest in leadership development to ensure long-term success.
How We’re Doing It:
- Investing in technology to improve service delivery, workforce training, and client engagement.
- Utilizing tools like Level All and EBSCO Learning to equip youth with career exploration resources, soft skills development, and industry-specific certification prep.
- Developing a mobile app for clients to track their progress, receive career coaching, access community resources, and stay engaged through push notifications.
- Using AI-powered tools to support staff and youth, especially for night shifts and during after-hours career education and training.
- Providing hands-on career training with Transfr VR simulations in manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and construction, offering real-world skill-building in a virtual environment.
- Employing virtual platforms like Zoom and Teams to support secure, high-quality engagement between staff and program participants, ensuring consistent mentorship and support.
