New Work Foundation Launches dearCC to Help Gen Z Navigate AI-Driven Job Market

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 1, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- New Work Foundation, a nonprofit co-founded by Clara Shih and Nick Mehta, has launched dearCC, a free AI-powered career navigation and mentorship platform aimed at helping Gen Z navigate the challenging job market. The platform combines human mentorship, peer networks, and real-time labor-market intelligence with AI tools to provide young jobseekers with actionable insights and a supportive community.

Amid a tough job market for new graduates, dearCC offers a clear roadmap for entry-level jobseekers. The platform includes several key features designed to equip young professionals with the mindset, skillset, and community needed to succeed in the AI economy. These features include:

1. dearCC Field Report: An AI-powered jobs explorer that helps users identify growing roles, flatlining positions, and high-growth adjacent occupations. Users can search by their college degree and gain insights into wage trends and geographic opportunities.

2. dearCC Game Plan: A step-by-step assessment of a jobseeker's LinkedIn profile, resume, and current job-search strategy, paired with hands-on opportunities to build AI capabilities relevant to their target role. Users receive personalized gap analyses, outreach recommendations, interview preparation, and portfolio-project ideas.

3. dearCC Community: An online community that counters the isolation of today's hiring process with role-specific learning modules, guidance, and peer support. Jobseekers can attend monthly master classes led by expert mentors, including Will Sentance, April Underwood, Katie Stanton, Michael Matlock, and more. Users can also join a Crew, a group of six jobseekers who meet weekly with a field mentor to provide support, structure, and accountability.

4. dearCC Weekly Brief: A personalized weekly newsletter that helps jobseekers understand how AI is being used and reshaping the occupations and industries they hope to enter.

The launch of dearCC is supported by a multi-year grant and anchor partnership with the Schultz Family Foundation, which focuses on increasing economic mobility for America's next generation. Through this collaboration, New Work Foundation will integrate labor-market insights from the Schultz Family Foundation and Burning Glass Institute's Where You Work Matters data into dearCC, providing young jobseekers with actionable guidance on employer quality and economic mobility.

New Work Foundation's CEO, Clara Shih, emphasized the importance of combining human mentorship with AI tools.

The platform is designed to replace the isolation and guesswork of the modern job hunt, providing entry-level jobseekers with the tools and support they need to succeed.

Ryon Baldwin-Williams, a 2025 Michigan State graduate and Gen Z advisory board member, echoed these sentiments.

All products are free and available beginning today at dearcc.org.