PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Jim Kenney today announced a new workforce development strategy created by the City and a number of its partners. Fueling Philadelphia’s Talent Engine is a citywide workforce development strategy aimed at addressing employers’ talent needs and preparing residents for careers in family-sustaining jobs. The strategy and accompanying materials can be viewed at phila.gov/workforce. Members of Philadelphia’s business, education, civic, and nonprofit communities shared their support for the plan.

Patrick Clancy, President & CEO, Philadelphia Works Inc.: “Philadelphia Works is thrilled to be a key partner in Fueling Philadelphia Talent Engine, a strategy that promotes, for the first time, meaningful and coordinated alignment between our work, managing Philadelphia’s public workforce system, and the work of our School District, employers, institutions of higher education, philanthropy, and City government in support of career pathways. We are grateful to Mayor Kenney for his leadership in bringing this ambitious plan to life and believe it has the real potential to address the skills gap that drives poverty in our city, while developing the home-grown talent needed to support robust, equitable economic growth in Philadelphia.”

Dr. William R. Hite, Superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia: “Philadelphia’s public school system is the foundation of the city’s talent development pipeline, and we are focused on preparing all our young people to graduate college and career ready. At the District we’re initiating new approaches including expanding Career and Technical Education, increasing opportunities for students to earn post-secondary credits, and opening innovative high schools such as Parkway Center City Central. Educating Philadelphia’s emerging workforce to meet the needs of a 21^st century knowledge economy will take a citywide effort working with employers, higher education institutions, government, and most importantly parents and young people. I strongly support the efforts of the Workforce Steering Committee and creation of Fueling Philadelphia’s Talent Engine, which elevates the importance of young people gaining a high-quality work experience before they graduate.”

Dr. Donald Guy Generals, President of Community College of Philadelphia: “With our uncompromising focus on student success, Community College of Philadelphia is excited to join the City, the School District, Philadelphia Works, Philadelphia Youth Network, and others to implement the recommendations of this workforce strategy. As our partners align their programs and collaborate on new career pathways, the College can provide a bridge from poverty, which can lead to fulfilling work and jobs that pay family-sustaining wages.”

Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend, President & CEO, Philadelphia Youth Network: “The Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) is proud to be a strong partner in both the development and implementation of Fueling Philadelphia’s Talent Engine. This first-ever citywide workforce strategy is what Philadelphia needs to ensure every resident is prepared to succeed today and thrive tomorrow. PYN’s mission is to create coordinated systems which promote academic achievement, economic opportunity and personal success. We are confident that our individual efforts will be amplified in the coming years as we work across organizational boundaries to achieve the ambitious goals outlined is this shared strategy.”

City Council President Darrell L. Clarke: “I applaud Mayor Kenney and the Philadelphia Workforce Development Steering Committee for focusing on what we as government officials, businesses, and organizations can do to lower barriers and expand economic opportunities for people. Recent bills from City Council outlawing credit score-based discrimination and incentivizing the training and employment of people returning from incarceration are only as impactful as the private sector allows them to be. A citywide workforce strategy backed by Philadelphia’s most prominent employers and economic development organizations is certainly encouraging, and I look forward to working with the Administration to realize our vision for strong, equitable growth in Philadelphia.”

Patrick Harker, President & CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia “With changing technology and economic shifts, investing in workforce development is an imperative for stable and equitable growth. Providing careers pathways is not just a benefit to individuals and families, but to the economy as a whole.”

Andy Van Kleunen, Chief Executive Officer, National Skills Coalition: “The entire country is looking for answers about how to connect millions of people looking for a better life to the skilled, good-paying jobs that local companies can’t fill. In Washington we’re actively debating these policy issues, but we know that the real-world solutions are ultimately going to be figured out on the ground in communities like Philadelphia. It’s unfortunately rare to see a Mayor take on a citywide workforce strategy as a priority, and to call to the table the business and labor communities, a cross-section of City agencies, the city’s K-12 schools and colleges, and a range of workforce development and social service organizations to join in that effort. So, we are very excited by this new initiative in Philadelphia. We look forward to watching Mayor Kenney and the rest of the city implement this ambitious plan — not just for what it will mean for the lives and businesses of Philadelphians, but also for what it can offer to inform the national debates on these challenges as well.”

Michael Banks, President, African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ and DE: “If you want to change communities, you have to change culture. What this workforce strategy aims to accomplish is just that, a reframing of how we look at business, where we make our investments, and who gets to participate in the prosperity of the city. We are moving people who have been historically marginalized from the sideline, and equipping them not just with the tools to compete, but also an opportunity so that they can succeed.”

Lorelei Gauthier, Chief Strategy Officer, Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers: “Philadelphia FIGHT is a supporter of this new workforce development strategy. We see it as an opportunity to address gaps in unemployment and underemployment among vulnerable populations, through training, education, improvement of digital literacy skills and connections to support systems that will ensure that Philadelphians not only gain sustainable employment opportunities, but stay in them and move up as well. As a long-time provider of quality health care services, we see this as a terrific way to expand our pool of talent, as well as a way to help our patients gain access to employment readiness opportunities. Our Critical Path Learning Center, which focuses on adult education, health literacy, and workforce development services for our patients and consumers, is ready and enthusiastic to support the City in implementing this strategy.”

Dan Fitzpatrick, President of Citizens Bank, Mid-Atlantic: “At Citizens Bank we pride ourselves on recruiting talented individuals who are committed to serving both our customers and our communities. We’re excited about the opportunity that this new citywide workforce development strategy presents because an endeavor of this scale will afford Citizens Bank the access to a talent pipeline that drives inclusive growth, which in turn allows us to better serve our customers. As Vice Chair of Philadelphia Works Inc., I recognize that this effort is central to the economic vitality of our city and ensures its workforce is both inclusive and trained with the necessary skills to compete in a global economy. I applaud Mayor Kenney, Managing Director DiBeradinis, Commerce Director Epps and the entire Steering Committee for their leadership and vision.”

Peter Gonzalez, President & CEO, Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians: “Immigrants, regardless of their country of origin, bring to Philadelphia their skills, education, experience, and strong work ethic. It is critical for our region’s economic growth that we connect employers with this pool of global talent. The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians brings best practices from across the country to help shape Philadelphia’s strategy to help employers attract and retain a more diverse workforce.”

Miles Wilson, Education Works: “We applaud the Mayor’s citywide workforce strategy, which aligns workforce planning to the needs of the businesses we hope to serve. It means that for the first time, all the workforce agencies in the city are working together to train people for jobs that Philadelphia needs now and in the future. Through our in school and out of school programming and our partnership with the City in operating PowerCorpsPHL, EducationWorks shares the City’s commitment to exposing young adults to diverse workforce opportunities and aiding them in developing the skills needed to succeed.”