Graduate Spotlight: Laura from CHOP
Laura Bien-Aime is on a mission. Only three years after graduating high school, Laura founded Laura’s Children Foundation to teach children simple strategies to lead healthier lives. Having primarily worked as a teacher’s assistant, she saw a West Philadelphia Skills Initiative flyer about training and job opportunities to join the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) […]
Graduate Spotlight: Felicia from Allied Universal
When Felicia Tucker completed a 2018 Allied Universal program, she didn’t know that the Skills Initiative would continue to play a role in her life. “I didn’t realize that once we were done with the program that we’d still be in touch as much as we’ve been,” she shared. She loved receiving alumni newsletters and […]
Announcing the Fourth Class of WPSI Scholars
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) is pleased to name the fourth annual class of WPSI Scholars. The twenty-five selected Skills Initiative alumni will each receive funding in varying amounts from $2,500-$5,000 for tuition and associated fees, totaling $97,500. To date, this is the largest total amount awarded to a single cohort of Scholars. This […]
Graduate Spotlight: Antoinette from Penn Medicine
In October 2020 Antoinette Moore, like many others, was without a job during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was doing prenatal health, working in the community. Then a bunch of us were let go, and I was doing odds and end jobs but nothing was really sticking. At that time I was really unemployed, and no […]
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott Gifts $4 Million to the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative to Accelerate and Sustain Program’s Impact
Today, we at the Skills Initiative are thrilled to share that University City District has received a $4 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott through her charitable organization Yield Giving to benefit the work of WPSI. The unrestricted gift will accelerate our goals of providing opportunities for job seekers, program alumni, and incumbent workers to […]
Industry Leaders Launch Keystone LifeSci Collaborative, a New Partnership to Support Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Life Science Sector
First sector partnership of its kind convenes life sciences companies from across six counties at inaugural event.
Graduate Spotlight: Monique from Penn Medicine
Six months ago, Monique Torres began working at Penn Medicine as a Medical Assistant, but her dream of working in the medical field began when she was just fourteen. “My mom’s best friend, who I call my aunt, passed away when I was young of leukemia cancer. Times like that are usually when you […]
Grant Blvd and WPSI Unveil “Fashion the Future Forward” Pilot Program
PHILADELPHIA [January 30, 2024] – University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) and Grant Blvd, a West Philadelphia-based sustainable fashion brand, announce the launch of a groundbreaking pilot partnership – “Fashion the Future Forward.” This collaborative initiative aims to recruit, train, and employ formerly incarcerated women in sustainable career pathways that provide a living […]
Award-Winning Biotech Training Program to Begin Recruitment with New Employer Partner in Life Sciences
PHILADELPHIA (January 16 2024) – The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative and The Wistar Institute are collaborating once again with support from the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia to bring their award-winning expansion of Wistar’s Biomedical Technician Training Program to a new partner, VintaBio, Inc. This workforce development training […]
Graduate Spotlight: Haley from Philly Shipyard, Inc.
Haley Arici graduated from Widener University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Haley had successfully completed a coveted internship with McKean Defense Group, was a member of the Society of Women Engineers, Vice President of the Physics and Astronomy Club, and even served as a youth mentor for Transportation You (TrYOU) through Women […]
WPSI + PIDC Workforce Partnership Celebrates 100th Placement
PHILADELPHIA (November 27, 2023) – University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) and PIDC are excited to announce the completion of the inaugural Industrial Trades Program! This cohort marks the 100th placement of the partnership. In 2020, PIDC and the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative teamed up to extend the successful cohort-based job training […]
Graduate Spotlight: Daymond from Penn Medicine
Daymond Garner has always known that his purpose in life is to help people. Early in his career, he nourished this innate ability through working in roles like Quality Assurance and Customer Care, and eventually was tapped to train teams to excel in that work like he did. In 2021, the West Philadelphia Skills […]
