The University City District Announces Major Grants Totaling $895,000 To Expand Workforce Development Citywide
University City Review By: Staff Investments from the Connelly and William Penn Foundations allow the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative program to serve more Philadelphians and provide real solutions to unemployment and poverty On December 27, 2019, the University City District (UCD) announced two new grants to sustain its efforts to improve the quality of life […]
From West Philly to the World
The Philadelphia Citizen By Bruce Katz and Megan Humes Last week, the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University, Accelerator for America and the Centre for Public Impact released West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI): A Model for Urban Workforce Development, a study we conducted along with Dan Vogel at the Centre for Public Impact and guided by […]
Announcing $895,000 of Support for WPSI and Green City Works
We are pleased to announce that we are the recipients of $895,000 in funds from the Connelly and William Penn Foundations. The funding will help to expand the reach of our West Philadelphia Sklils Initiative (WPSI) and support career growth and pathways out of intergenerational poverty, with a particular focus on Green City Works (GCW). […]
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative has become a leading workforce model.
The New Localism By Bruce Katz I am thrilled to co-author this newsletter with Megan Humes, a Senior Associate with the Centre for Public Impact (CPI), a nonprofit founded by Boston Consulting Group. For the past several months, Megan and I (ably assisted by Dan Vogel at CPI and guided by Matt Bergheiser and Sarah […]
How JPMorgan, Citizens, Wells Fargo and Fulton banks are vying for Philly dollars
The Philadelphia Inquirer By Joseph N. DiStefano With all the smartphone apps, megamergers and branch closings that have disrupted the banking business, entrenched Philadelphia banks and new competitors are scrambling to gather deposits, train entrepreneurs, and give grants and loans. — Fulton Bank, based in Lancaster and named for the steamboat developer, has opened a […]
Money Matters: More than $1.5M invested in workforce development, specialized training
Generocity By Sabrina Vourvoulias 1. JP Morgan Chase awards $1.5 million for expansion of UCD’s skills initiative. JPMorgan Chase & Co announced it will be investing $1.5 million over two years with University City District (UCD) to help expand job training now only available to West Philadelphians through UCD’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI). WPSI — which began in 2011 to […]
Realizing Career Dreams in University City
Meet three graduates of University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative who are on the path to realizing their career dreams with major Philadelphia employers.
Chase donates $1.5M to help Philadelphians find jobs
Philadelphia Business Journal By Jeff Blumenthal JPMorgan Chase & Co. will invest $1.5 million over two years to help more unemployed Philadelphia residents find quality jobs. Chase made the announcement Wednesday morning at a ribbon cutting for its latest branch in Grays Ferry. The money will go to the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, an organization […]
Citizens Bank Announces $125K Contribution To Support Expansion Of The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative
University City Review By Staff Citizens Bank has announced a $125,000 investment in University City District’s nationally recognized job training program, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), to support its expansion efforts. After having worked exclusively with University City employers and West Philadelphia residents, the organization will extend its reach to employers across the region. […]
The HOW Group Partners with UCD on Path into the Trades
While The HOW Group has only been a member for less than a year, its partnership with UCD is creating a pathway to the skilled trades for talented West Philadelphians, and illustrating the potential that our relationships with members have to evolve for the benefit of the neighborhood. The HOW Group is an all-in-one real […]
Citizens Bank Offers $125K Contribution to Support Expansion of the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative
On Thursday, November 14th, Citizens Bank announced a $125,000 investment in our nationally-recognized job training program, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), in support of our expansion efforts. Citizens Bank’s substantial investment in WPSI is one of the largest the bank has made in Philadelphia. Since 2012, Citizens has contributed more than $450,000 to the Skills […]
United Way Gifts $45,000 to Support the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative
We’d like to thank the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey for their continued support of our West Philadelphia Skills Initiative. This month, the United Way gifted us with $45,000 to support the operations of the Skills Initiative. They have been a longtime ally in our work to connect talented West Philadelphians to […]