Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about SkillUp and better understand our primary platform offerings of career exploration, training programs, and jobs.

Is SkillUp legit? Is SkillUp a nonprofit?

SkillUp Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. SkillUp is a comprehensive career platform built for skilled job-seekers who don't hold a college degree. We provide career resources with the support of our 100+ coalition partners.

We've impacted real change in people's career journeys. We recommend you hear their success stories and browse our free platform to see for yourself!

Is SkillUp free to use?

Yes! SkillUp's platform is free to browse hundreds of training programs and career tools.

Create a profile to apply to jobs and training programs.

What makes SkillUp different from other job sites?

SkillUp's staff takes the time to research and qualify career paths for individuals who do not hold a degree. Our platform only shows careers, trainings, and open jobs that present growth and learning opportunities, offer living wages & benefits, and open doors to more senior roles - all without a college degree.

How do I use the Careers section on SkillUp?

Use SkillUp's Career section to deep dive into in-demand career paths that don't require a degree and offer growth opportunities. When you click into a career card, you'll learn more about this job title such as:

  • How much does this job title earn
  • What salary increases and promotions can be expected after this job
  • What other job titles are similarly used for this career
  • What skills are needed to qualify for this job
That's a lot of job titles! How do I pick a career path to follow?

Which career is right for you? You can start with SkillUp's work-style quiz to learn which styles match your personality.

Once you have your results, you can then use this information to filter our career, training, or jobs catalog to only see the opportunities that may suite you best.

Why don't I see a job title I'm interested in on your site?

SkillUp has several standards that are used to qualify a career path or job title as a "growth opportunity." Our staff researches career paths to see which titles and industries are most in-demand and commonly accepts applicants without a degree.

Our career catalog with the most promising career paths spans business, technology, healthcare, skilled trades, and supply chain.

If you don't see a job title that you are interested in, it may mean that we have not yet had a chance to research it or it may have not met our many qualification standards.

What makes SkillUp's training catalog different from others?

SkillUp's training catalog consists of low-cost, short-term programs that match the most in-demand skills, certifications, and credentials needed to gain a high-opportunity career identified in our Careers section.

The programs that SkillUp prioritizes are ones that:

  • Are free or cost less than $10,000
  • Take less than 12 months to complete
  • Offers industry-recognized credentials

You'll also find apprenticeships that commonly pay you to train or offer job-placement assistance after completing the program.

Watch our video to learn more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBSf7R5xgXU

What does "Pays You" mean?

Some of the programs found on SkillUp's training catalog will pay you a wage while you're training. These are most often Earn and Learn opportunities or paid apprenticeships.

How do I decide which training program is best for me?

Our first recommended step is to look at our Careers section or Job board and save the job titles you are interested in. Look at those job titles' sections that list the skills, certifications, or credentials needed. Take note of any skills that are most common among your favorites. Then jump into the Training catalog to find related programs.

The second step would be to use SkillUp's filtering options to help you find a program that best suits your lifestyle. For example, you can pick how long you want to train, how many hours in a day you can spare (full-time, part-time), or whether you prefer online or in-person training.

How much do your training programs cost? Will I need a loan? Do you offer Financial Aid?

SkillUp goal is to offer low-cost, short-term training programs. While all programs are under $10,000, a large amount are free or even pay you to train.

Our training catalog includes a Financial Aid filter to help you see options that provide different forms of financial assistance. SkillUp does not directly provide financial aid.

I applied to a training and have not heard back from them yet.

SkillUp does not own the listed courses and is not the training provider or education institution receiving applications. We recommend that you visit the organization's website where you applied and contact them directly.

If you have already done this step, contact us at info@skillup.org and we can assist in contacting the provider.

What makes SkillUp's job board different from others?

SkillUp's job board is not a catch-all. To align with our mission, to help non-degree-holding job seekers find jobs with better growth opportunities, we only display jobs that fit the following criteria:

  • Don't require college degrees
  • Are full-time and offer benefits
  • Pay the listing area's living wage
  • Ask for skills or certifications that can be gained inexpensively and within less than 12 months

SkillUp additionally has verified Employer Partners highlighted on its job board. These job listings are from employers who share SkillUp's mission and are supportive of upskilling.

Do I need work experience or a resume to apply to these jobs?

SkillUp has defined two job levels. "Gateway Jobs" and "Earn and Learn Jobs".

Gateway Jobs

If you already have work experience, job skills, or credentials in your desired field of work - we recommend the Job Level filter “Gateway Jobs.”

SkillUp calls these jobs that require experience and credentials, but still no degree, “Gateway Jobs” because these opportunities should open doors for you towards career advancement and better wages.

This job level recommends a resume to demonstrate the skills you have earned and to list any related credentials.

Earn and Learn Jobs

This job level is considered more entry-level and are designed to teach you the skills while on the job.

Though some job listings require 1-2 years of general work experience, many of our Earn and Learn employer partners offer jobs that require no experience at all. If you are asked for a resume as part of the application process, visit our resource section to find tips to help you create one.

Do you have remote jobs?

Yes! SkillUp's job board is full of remote jobs that don't require degrees, though require some past training or experience.

If you find that you don't have the job description's skills or certifications, you can find several low-cost, short-term, and online trainings on our platform to help you qualify to apply to more remote jobs.

What kind of roles or industries are these jobs?

SkillUp has identified five rapidly growing industries that align with our mission to help those without college degrees to land jobs with livable wages and growth opportunities. These five industries are Healthcare, Technology, Business, Skilled Trades, and Transportation & Logistics.

What exactly is an "Earn and Learn" job?

SkillUp only shares the Earn and Learn job opportunities that check the following boxes:

  • Provides on-the-job training, or, provides financial assistance for credentialing, training, or tuition
  • Does not require a degree
  • Is full-time and offers a livable wage with benefits
  • Requires no experience to some general work experience

The kinds of roles you may find while exploring job listings include:

  • Administrative Assistants
  • Builders or Installers
  • Child Care Teachers
  • Technicians
  • Sales Consultants
  • Marketing Assistants
  • and many more!