EPIC
Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) provides access to a national network of employer facing organizations and other challenge providers to deliver high-quality, project-based learning.
The demand for work-based learning opportunities for students is on the rise. Employers, policymakers, educators — are all in search of better ways to connect students to careers, increase awareness of in-demand industries, and equip students with employability skills. While internships have long been the method for providing these opportunities, there simply is not enough capacity to meet the need.
To address this challenge, the U.S. Chamber Foundation is piloting employer sponsored project-based learning as a solution that scales, can be credentialed, and can deliver high impact career awareness and career preparation for learners. EPIC engages high school and postsecondary students with challenges to real-world problems sponsored by business.
Building Experience, Increasing Opportunity
- Creating PathwaysAuthentic problem-based learning is a high-quality form of work-based learning that can better support career awareness, career exploration, and career advancement (i.e., reskilling and upskilling) for learners.
- Solutions at ScaleThis type of work-based learning can be supported at scale through a nationally accredited network of employers and employer facing organizations functioning as host organizations.
- Credentials and EquityEPIC demonstrates that authentic problem-based learning can be credentialed in a trusted and high-quality way, and can be more equitably accessed by learners and those organizations that serve them.
EPIC Summer Convening 2025 Gallery
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EPIC Collaborations: Harnessing Work-Based Learning to Shape Student Success
At the 2025 Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) Summer Convening, we explored how work-based learning can empower the next generation of leaders and problem-solvers.
Ways to Partner
If you are an employer facing organization (chamber of commerce or business association): serve as a host organization for challenges in your community, overseeing the employers that develop projects, and the education partners that organize teams of learners to participate in them.
If you are an education or workforce partner: make this opportunity available to learners to support career awareness, exploration, and development.
If you are an employer: partner with a challenge host organization to design and deliver authentic projects for teams of learners and workers.
For more information:
Contact Sarah Castro to learn more and partner at scastro@uschamber.com.
Latest Content
- Celeste Tiller reflects on her experience as a Business Leads Fellow, highlighting how her participation in the program continues to support her efforts to strengthen York County's workforce.At the 2025 Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) Summer Convening, we explored how work-based learning can empower the next generation of leaders and problem-solvers.iBIO leveraged our Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) program to bridge education and industry, providing community college and high school students with valuable real-world learning experiences in the life sciences sector.Our 2024 EPIC Summer Meeting showcased how partnerships solve real business challenges, open doors for students, and transform communities through work-based learning.