Eckerd Connects Joins National Movement to 'Tear the Paper Ceiling' and Expand Opportunity for Half the U.S. Workforce

Eckerd Connects backs skills-first hiring campaign for the 75 million workers without a degree

CLEARWATER, Fla., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Eckerd Connects, one of the nation's largest workforce development nonprofits, today announced that it has joined the Tear the Paper Ceiling Coalition, supporting a public awareness campaign led by the Ad Council and Opportunity@Work. The campaign calls on employers and decision makers to embrace skills-first hiring practices and unlock the potential of the more than 75 million workers in the U.S. who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) — such as apprenticeships, certifications, military service, on-the-job training, and more — rather than through a bachelor's degree.

The Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign aligns with Eckerd Connects' commitment to connecting people with opportunity. Too often, qualified job seekers are screened out because they lack a bachelor's degree, before employers consider their skills and experience. By joining the coalition, Eckerd Connects is helping advance hiring practices that recognize the talent people bring and open more pathways to careers and economic mobility.

"Every day at Eckerd Connects, we meet people with talent, determination, and so much to contribute. They deserve the chance to show what they can do, and a degree requirement shouldn't stand in the way when they have the skills to succeed," said Michael D. Smith, President and CEO of Eckerd Connects. "That's why we're joining Tear the Paper Ceiling. When employers recognize skills gained through different routes, they unlock talent that strengthens businesses, expands economic opportunity, and benefits entire communities. More people have the opportunity to build careers, support their families, and contribute to the success of the places they call home."

Eckerd Connects serves and supports over 250,000 people annually through its programs and workforce partnerships. Its work spans workforce development, Job Corps, child and family services, and juvenile justice. Through education, job training, employer connections, and wraparound support, Eckerd Connects helps people overcome barriers and build pathways to lasting employment and economic mobility.

STARs make up half the U.S. labor market, yet they face a "paper ceiling" — the invisible barrier of degree screens, biased algorithms, stereotypes, and limited professional networks that block access to higher-wage jobs. Over the last 40 years, the wage gap between STARs and workers with bachelor's degrees has doubled; when adjusted for inflation, STARs now earn less on average than they did in 1976. STARs' exclusion hurts businesses too, artificially limiting their talent pool. Research from LinkedIn shows that hiring managers who start with skills are 60% more likely to find a successful hire.

Eckerd Connects joins a coalition of leading national private sector and nonprofit organizations,  ranging from Fortune 100 employers to philanthropies and workforce development organizations. Together, the Coalition is leading the way in building a labor market that recognizes the tangible benefits – to workers and to businesses – of valuing skills from every route.

Since launching in 2022, the Tear the Paper Ceiling campaign has grown into a national movement with measurable impact. The campaign's PSAs drive two million visits annually to TearThePaperCeiling.org, and those who have seen the campaign are changing how they view talent. 83% of employers say they are more likely to hire workers without bachelor's degrees than they were 2–3 years ago. Overall, 92% of employers report they are interested in hiring people who have acquired skills through routes other than a degree.

According to Opportunity@Work's State of the Paper Ceiling report, collective action by employers and policymakers has halted the decades-long decline in STARs' access to good-paying jobs, yielding 783,000 more STARs in those roles than projected. And now, there's a clear path to open access to at least 10 million higher-paying jobs for STARs by 2030.

The latest Tear the Paper Ceiling PSAs, titled "Story Unfold," speak directly to employers, encouraging them to look beyond the paper and discover how skills-first hiring can help them find the right hire. Created pro bono by world-renowned creative agency Ogilvy and directed by STAR filmmaker Loris Russier, the PSAs use the metaphor of a crumpled paper that slowly unfurls to reveal a STAR's face, encouraging viewers to look holistically at applicants and see the skills and experience that others might miss.

The campaign provides resources for both employers and STARs at TearThePaperCeiling.org — including playbooks and guides for getting started with skills-first hiring practices, case studies from organizations already hiring STARs, and career development resources for STARs. The integrated campaign appears nationwide in donated media placements across TV, radio, digital, social media, out-of-home, and print.

Organizations, employers, STARs, and individuals can join the movement by visiting TearThePaperCeiling.org to share their stories, find tools and resources, and learn more about how to adopt and promote skills-first hiring practices.

About Eckerd Connects

For nearly 60 years, Eckerd Connects has empowered children, families, young adults and job seekers to overcome barriers, realize their potential and build successful lives through workforce development, Job Corps, child and family services, juvenile justice, and behavioral health programs. As one of the nation's largest non-profit providers of workforce development and one of the only national non-profit Job Corps operators, Eckerd Connects serves more than 250,000 individuals each year through direct services and workforce partnerships across 21 states and the District of Columbia. Through innovative, evidence-based programs and strong community partnerships, Eckerd Connects creates pathways to education, employment and lifelong success. Learn more at www.eckerd.org.

About Opportunity@Work

Opportunity@Work is a 501(c)3 nonprofit social enterprise on a mission to rewire the labor market so all Americans can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. Our work advances economic opportunities for the 70+ million U.S. workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) instead of through a bachelor's degree. Opportunity@Work engages with corporate, public sector, talent technology, and philanthropic partners through landmark research and labor market data analysis, public awareness and narrative change, STARs-centric software tools, and multi-sector networks. Our goal is to enable upward mobility for 1 million STARs by opening up 10 million jobs, and boost their earnings by 100 billion dollars by 2035. Learn more at www.opportunityatwork.org.

About the Ad Council

The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change. For more than 80 years, the nonprofit organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country's most iconic social impact campaigns — Smokey Bear, Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org.

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