Philly Money Moves: West Philadelphia Skills Initiative won a big workforce development grant
West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), a workforce development program through the University City District, won a $339,000 grant from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation to support workforce development for justice-involved individuals. During FY22, 17% of WPSI’s participants were justice-involved individuals and only half of them graduated, according to the org. These funds will support WPSI as […]
Graduate Spotlight: Iyana from Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Iyana Pearson saves lives. Before she joined the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative in 2022, she had worked as a dialysis technician for eight years. Like so many other Americans, however, she found herself looking for work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Iyana explored getting back into the medical field, she discovered the pilot […]
OPRE Pathways To Work Case Study on WPSI
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation published a case study on WPSI! Read the study below:
Announcing the Third Class of WPSI Scholars
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) is pleased to name the third annual class of WPSI Scholars. These ten Skills Initiative alumni will each receive financial assistance to help with continuing their professional education. Through generous funding from the Chappell- Culpeper Foundation, Scholars each receive a $2,000 scholarship toward tuition to cover degree, certification, or […]
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative: Building Customized Talent Solutions
Originally published by BioBuzz Going on 13 years, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) has acted as a workforce intermediary with local companies. The Skills Initiative operates a year-round, cohort-based, jobs-driven training model designed to find and train talent. Over the years, the Skills Initiative’s programs have connected more than 91% of graduates to employment […]
Cutting the Ribbon on New West Philadelphia Skills Initiative Headquarters
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), our pioneering workforce intermediary that has connected Philadelphians to career-ladder positions with major employers since its formation in 2011, has cut the ribbon on a new headquarters at 22 S. 40th Street in West Philadelphia. Members of our UCD and WPSI staff were joined by 3rd District Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, […]
Support from Hummingbird Foundation Helps Skills Initiative Launch WPSI University to Further Advance Alumni
This week, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) is thrilled to announce the launch of 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 […]
For ‘middle-wage’ workers in Philly, finding a job can be harder than in other cities, according to a Pew report
Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer Over the last decade, about 1,600 people have graduated from a West Philadelphia-based workforce development program. The mission of the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative is to recruit workers, train them, and then place them in jobs that pay family-sustaining wages and offer career growth in major Philly employers such […]
Citizens Bank Continues Support of the Skills Initiative with $60,000 Contribution
We are sharing our gratitude in announcing that Citizens Bank has awarded us another $60,000 grant to support our nationally-recognized job training program, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI). This generous contribution pushes the total support offered by the Citizens Charitable Foundation to the Skills Initiative to over $550,000 since our program’s inception. Citizens Bank believes that investing in […]
Celebrating Ten Years of the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative
On Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, hundreds of West Philadelphia Skills Initiative alumni, partners, and friends gathered at World Cafe Live to celebrate ten years of our nationally-recognized job training program. The event featured remarks from key partners, awards for notable Skills Initiative alumni, and catching up with friends and former staff. During the event, we screened […]
Caitlin Garozzo Named Executive Director of the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative
We’re pleased to announce that Caitlin Garozzo has been promoted to Executive Director of the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative. Cait is a proven leader who brings a deep commitment to identifying and creating opportunities that promote equity, support growth, and provide meaningful solutions for employers and WPSI participants. She began her workforce career as a […]
As Philly becomes a hub for life sciences, a new program will train workers for jobs in the field
Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer Hopes run high in Philadelphia that the region — the scientific home of two of the first cell and gene therapies approved by the FDA — will remain a major player as the cutting-edge treatments assume a bigger role in medicine. To make that happen, Philadelphia’s life sciences […]
