There is no doubt that the future of work is rapidly evolving, and Pennsylvania is leading the way. Governor Josh Shapiro understands this and has taken steps to ensure that all career seekers have a chance to be successful in today’s economy.

Last week, Governor Shapiro’s first act as governor was to expand jobs with the Commonwealth to individuals without college degrees. According to the Department of Labor and Industry, roughly seven million people without four-year degrees reside in Pennsylvania.

This move not only opens up new opportunities for those who are looking for a change, but it also encourages businesses to expand their reach and hire more workers who have the skills they need right now. Career seekers with minimal post-secondary education have historically been able to find employment, but this expansion will help them get closer to positions that pay a family-sustaining wage. To support the expansion, a new website was unveiled to search job openings that instructed agencies to “emphasize work experience in their hiring.” Then, to further his commitment to Pennsylvania’s economic growth, on January 24, 2023, Governor Shapiro signed an executive order creating the Office of Transformation and Opportunity in Pennsylvania. The newly formed office will focus on three key areas:

• Economic Growth
• Innovation
• Job Creation

This executive order will herald a new era of prosperity for Pennsylvania workers and businesses – an era that frees businesses to invest more in themselves and their employees, grow more rapidly, create more jobs and wealth for every Pennsylvanian, and allow more of our neighbors to prosper alongside them.

Speaking personally, as an honored member of Governor Shapiro’s transition team, I deeply believe in the mission that our newly inaugurated Governor and the new leadership in Harrisburg have to make Pennsylvania the best place in the nation to live, work, and raise a family.

Philadelphia Works is a proud partner in this work, and we encourage our respected workforce partners throughout the state to strategically invest in the resources that will secure Pennsylvania’s future. You can learn more about our local strategy for investment by reading our newly published 2023-2024 Recovery Occupations Planning Guide.

Yours in service,

H. Patrick Clancy 

In this episode, you’ll hear about how Philadelphia Works is investing in recovery occupations. These are occupations that are experiencing employer demand, show promise for future growth, pay livable wages and are accessible to workers with diverse educational and employment backgrounds. You’ll also learn about the Recovery Occupations Planning Guide and how the guide provides detailed information on each recovery occupation, including wages, required skills and certifications, top industries of employment, and more.

To access the Recovery Occupations Planning Guide, visit: https://philaworks.org/recovery-occupations-2/

Listen to the Full Episode Here

The Current Labor Market Conditions dashboard provides the most up-to-date, high-level look at Philadelphia’s labor market. State, federal, and private data sources help us understand how our local economy and workforce are performing over time.

The dashboard highlights overall employment estimates, labor market demand, job postings by industry, etc.

View the Dashboard Here

As Philadelphia’s Workforce Development Board, Philadelphia Works manages strategic investment of federal, state, local and private funding into job training and employment programming throughout the city and Southeastern Pennsylvania region. While our community navigates economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, now, more than ever, we are prioritizing timely opportunities in occupations that are experiencing employer demand now; show promise for future growth; pay livable wages; and are accessible to workers with diverse educational and employment backgrounds.

To drive this COVID-considerate approach forward and support city leaders and partners as they, too, work toward recovery, Philadelphia Works has identified a set of 2023-2024 Recovery Occupations.

View the Full Report Here

LevelUp Philadelphia is proud to partner with Philadelphia Works, Inc. to support local workers. Our non-profit provides career exploration tools, career coaching, training and education programs, and local employer connections.

Rather than push workers back into jobs just like the ones they left, SkillUp gives workers the opportunity to build new skills that are suited to in-demand jobs with promising career paths.



Explore trusted training and career resources to put you on the path to the fastest-growing careers in Philadelphia

Community Outreach and Engagement Support for

PA CareerLink® Philadelphia

Released January 3, 2023 – Seeking entities interested in outreach and engagement support for the PA CareerLink Philadelphia system to highlight resources available to targeted areas of Philadelphia specifically those experiencing the highest rates of chronic unemployment. Proposals will be accepted through Monday, January 30, 2023, at 5:00 PM ET.

To ensure Philadelphia Works maintains an open competition process, all inquiries regarding this RFP must be submitted via email to [email protected].

View the Full RFP and Get Started Here

If you took a 180 degree turn on the way you look at work, what could you uncover? Join the team at Workforce180 as they flip the switch on how we think about, interact with, and develop our nation’s workforce. Whether you want to shape the careers of others, or enhance your own, this podcast will put your perspective in motion.

In this Follow the Leader episode Patrick Clancy, President and CEO of Philadelphia Works, joins Workforce180 CEO Mike Fazio for a conversation about his career journey and some new grants that will help grow the economy in Philadelphia in 2023.

Listen to the Episode Here

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