The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative has been working hard on new partnerships, trainings, resources for program alumni, and outfitting our new headquarters at 22 S. 40th Street. Please enjoy this update on the latest partnerships, results, and funding news for WPSI. |
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Cutting the Ribbon on our New Headquarters |
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During the Industrial Revolution, 22 S. 40th Street in West Philadelphia served as the West Philadelphia Institute, a training center for the young men that would eventually make Philadelphia the nation’s manufacturing leader. In March 2023, the building once again opened its doors to Philadelphians looking to connect opportunity and talent. WPSI staff were joined by 3rd District Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, State Senator Vincent Hughes, Penn SEVP Craig Carnaroli, and WPSI alumni and friends at the historic site to cut the ribbon and welcome everyone to our new headquarters.
To date, the team has served the following cohorts since being in the new space:
- Medical Assistant Certification with Penn Medicine
- Union Shipyard Apprentices with Philly Shipyard, Inc.
- Clinic Aides with CHOP
- Nursing Assistant Certification for Patient Care Technicians with Penn Medicine
- Biomedical Technician Training: Research Technician with CHOP
- Security Officers with CHOP
- Union Custodial Services with the University of Pennsylvania
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WPSI to Lead Key Component of $500M Federal Good Jobs Challenge in Philadelphia |
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In August 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded grants to 32 industry-led workforce training partnerships across the country as part of the $500 million Good Jobs Challenge funded by President Biden's American Rescue Plan. A collaborative effort led by Philadelphia Works implementing three sector partnerships in healthcare and life sciences, energy, and building and construction was awarded $23 million in funding. The project, titled The Coordinated Southeastern Pennsylvania Workforce Development System, names the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative as the healthcare and life sciences backbone organization.
"Life sciences and health care are pillars of the region's economy, and represent industries where Philadelphia has exerted global leadership," said University City District president Matt Bergheiser. "The Skills Initiative is honored to help lead this regional effort to continue to lift up and advance local talent into life-changing and region-shaping jobs."
This streamlined regional workforce training system expects to get 3,000 people into jobs over the next two years.
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The Latest (Outstanding) Results |
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Our WPSI staff has been busy since we last updated you in October of 2022. We've run cohorts with partners including Philly Shipyard, Inc., CHOP, and Iovance Biotherapeutics, we launched no-cost certification training and testing programs for Medical Assistant (MA) and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) roles, and we continued our partnership with PIDC to run several successful programs under the Navy Yard Skills Initiative (NYSI) banner, including a program in partnership with The Wistar Institute and Iovance Biotherapeutics that offers the technical skills and experience to enter Philadelphia's burgeoning life sciences industry without a Bachelor's degree.
Our recent results, shown in the graphic below, have been strong. In some cases, the numbers are projections since programs were active as we ended our fiscal year at the end of June.
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We have added two new staff members to the WPSI team over the past few months, and look forward to share additional staffing updates in the near future! |
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Morris Burns has joined our WPSI team as our Manager of Applicant Experience. Morris brings 10 years of experience in nonprofit management working as a community builder, transitional manager, client conversion associate, and social services advocate. He will provide direct support to WPSI program applicants, guiding them through the application process and identifying areas for improvement to make the process more efficient and equitable.
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Jazzmin Prosper is our new Manager of Continuing Development. She will be managing the Pathway to Promotion program along with WPSI Scholars. Jazzmin arrives with 8 years of experience in youth development and programming including Americorps, K-12 and higher education teaching, and public health policy and partnership management. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Counseling with a concentration in Chemical Dependency counseling and Behavioral Health.
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We are pleased to share the latest news about the financial support we have received to advance our West Philadelphia Skills Initiative. We are grateful to each of the funders for their help in advancing our mission to connect residents seeking opportunity to employers seeking talent. |
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Fair Chance Hiring Workforce Solutions Grant |
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WPSI and West Philadelphia-based sustainable fashion brand Grant Blvd are launching a pilot partnership called Fashion the Future to recruit, train, and employ formerly incarcerated women in positions within the fashion field. This new program, aiming to launch this September, is made possible through support from a $250,000 Fair Chance Hiring Workforce Solutions Grant administered by The City's Department of Commerce. Read more.
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JPMorgan Chase Foundation |
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In the spring of 2023, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation continued its support of the Skills Initiative with a $339,000 grant to support our program’s capacity to advance a more inclusive and supportive workforce training approach for justice-involved individuals. Read more about the efforts here. We extend our deepest gratitude to JPMorgan Chase for their continued support of the Skills Initiative. With this latest grant, they have now contributed over $2 million to support our crucial work of connecting Philadelphians to career pathways with major local employers
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In January of 2023, we launched WPSI University, our new program to offer continued workplace education and academic advancement for our graduates, equipping them with the tools and credentials they need to advance in the 21st-century workplace. This new enterprise is supported by a generous $150,000 grant from the Hummingbird Foundation, a New Jersey-based charitable organization. We're grateful to the Hummingbird Foundation for their support.
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We are grateful to Citizens Bank for continuing their steadfast support of the Skills Initiative. Last fall, they awarded us another $60,000 grant, which pushes the total support offered by the Citizens Charitable Foundation to the Skills Initiative to over $550,000 since our program's inception. With underwriting help from Citizens, the Skills Initiative has continued and expanded on its efforts to serve the entire Philadelphia region by launching more city-wide recruitments, adding additional employer partners, and navigating virtual and hybrid trainings. |
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In May of 2023, we received a generous $50,000 grant from Bank of America for our Skills Initiative. The grant is part of Bank of America's philanthropic giving efforts in local communities. This latest funding pushes Bank of America's total investment in our Skills Initiative program to over $650,000 since 2013. We are very grateful for their years of support of our program.
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Last fall, we were the recipients of another $30,000 grant from the Lincoln Financial Foundation to support the continued operation of WPSI. The Lincoln Financial Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Lincoln Financial Group, and awards grants to hundreds of nonprofits each year that empower and improve the lives of people in their communities through programs including human services, education, and financial wellness. This new support pushes total contributions from the Lincoln Financial Foundation to WPSI to nearly $250,000 in total funds since 2013.
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In the fall of 2022, we were the grateful recipients of a $10,000 technology grant from the Lubin Family Foundation to purchase a set of classroom laptops for program participants. This technology gift allows WPSI participants to complete the program using the Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office Suite, replicating the technology used by employers and offering one more way WPSI helps to prepare talented jobseekers to connect to quality jobs. |
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At the Skills Initiative, our work with participants does not end when they accept a job offer. We continually strive to provide resources and engagement with our 1,500+ Skills Initiative alumni so that the support we extend to them continues throughout their professional careers. Below are some of the ways we've emphasized continued engagement with WPSI alumni.
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Alumni Spotlight: Iyana Pearson of Iovance Biotherapeutics |
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Get to know a WPSI graduate! Today we are spotlighting Iyana Pearson, a participant in our Biomedical Technician Training Program: Aseptic Manufacturing that ran between 2022 and into 2023. After working as a dialysis technician for eight years, Iyana found herself out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Click below to read how Iyana shifted careers with help from our program. |
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In July of 2023, we shared details about the third class of WPSI Scholars, Skills Initiative alumni who were nominated to receive financial support to continue their educations. Through generous funding from the Chappell- Culpeper Foundation, ten WPSI Scholars will each receive a $2,000 scholarship toward tuition to cover degree, certification, or credentialing programs. Click here to meet this year's WPSI Scholars.
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WPSI BBQ and Backpack Giveaway |
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On Friday, August 11th, WPSI staff, alumni, and families will gather at Smith Playground in Fairmount Park for the first in-person, alumni-exclusive celebratory event since 2019. Guests will enjoy food, desserts, and camaraderie, plus we'll be distributing free backpacks just in time for back-to-school. We look forward to planning more alumni-exclusive events in the very near future! |
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Meet three West Philadelphia Skills Alumni and hear how their careers and lives have flourished since completing our program.
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Matt Bergheiser
President,
University City District
A.J. Adams
Manager of Partner Services
Patrick Bayer
Senior Manager for Economic Development and Analysis
Lauren Bishop
Senior Manager of Employer Services
Morris Burns
Manager of Applicant Experience
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Caitlin Garozzo
Executive Director
Fontaine Gutierrez
Manager of Outreach and Communications
Joshua Park
Senior Manager of Strategy and Partnerships
Jazzmin Prosper
Manager of Continuing Development
Dr. Romaine Thrower
Director of Programs
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UNIVERSITY CITY DISTRICT RESOURCES |
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© 2023 • All Rights Reserved |
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