Philadelphia Stakeholders Discuss Implementation and Impact of New Workforce Development Strategy
PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Kenney joined a number of Philadelphia leaders today for an event highlighting the city’s new workforce development strategy. Fueling Philadelphia’s Talent Engine is a citywide plan aimed at addressing employers’ needs and preparing residents for careers in family-sustaining jobs. The strategy, which was announced on February 6 at the Mayor’s annual address to the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, will help guide both the public and private sectors to ensure every Philadelphia resident can build the skills needed to compete in the workforce.
“Our new citywide workforce development strategy – Fueling Philadelphia’s Talent Engine – is the product of an unprecedented level of collaboration between Philadelphia’s public and private sectors,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “The release of this plan will serve as a launching point for the bold steps that need to be taken to align education and workforce systems to the talent needs of business.”
The two-hour summit of local workforce stakeholders, employers and government leaders took place at the Community College of Philadelphia – one of the major partners involved in developing Fueling Philadelphia’s Talent Engine. Speakers covered a variety of topics related to workforce development, including an overview of the citywide strategy, the need to address a growing skills gap, shared commitments across the city’s major institutions, and action steps that individuals and organizations can take to support the plan.
“Community College of Philadelphia is excited to join the City, the School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Works, Inc., the Philadelphia Youth Network, and others to implement the recommendations of the workforce strategy,” said Dr. Donald (Guy) Generals, President of Community College of Philadelphia. “As partners align programs and collaborate on career pathways, we provide a crucial bridge from poverty, which can lead to meaningful work and jobs that pay family-sustaining wages.”
Program participants at today’s event included: Mayor Jim Kenney; Dr. Donald (Guy) Generals, President, Community College of Philadelphia; Dr. William Hite, Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia; Michael DiBerardinis, Managing Director, City of Philadelphia; Harold T. Epps, Commerce Director, City of Philadelphia; Sheila Ireland, Deputy Director of Workforce Diversity & Inclusion for Rebuild, City of Philadelphia; Patrick Clancy, President & CEO, Philadelphia Works Inc.; Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend, President & CEO, Philadelphia Youth Network; Dan Fitzpatrick, President, Citizens Banks Mid-Atlantic; Uva Coles, Vice President of Institutional Advancement & Strategic Partnerships, Peirce College; John Colborn, Chief Operating Officer, JEVS Human Services; Cheryl Feldman, Executive Director, District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund; Patrick Callihan, Executive Director, Tech Impact; Joyce Bacon, Owner, Joyce Bacon Coaching & Consulting; and Aaron Kirkland, PowerCorpsPHL Alumnus.
Fueling Philadelphia’s Talent Engine and accompanying materials can be viewed online at phila.gov/workforce.