Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Visit the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative
On August 24th, we were honored to welcome Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative. Secretary Jerry Oleksiak and Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development Eileen Cipriani toured our training facility and participated in a roundtable discussion with local employers and workforce partners. A lifelong educator, Secretary Oleksiak met with our […]
Reflections from UCD VP of Workforce Solutions Sarah Steltz
Sarah Steltz is UCD’s new Vice President of Workforce Solutions. Prior to joining UCD, Sarah spent ten years working at Drexel University, most recently as Director of Workforce and Economic Inclusion on Drexel’s University and Community Partnerships (UCP) team. Since starting at University City District in early May, I have devoted my time to learning the […]
Sarah Steltz Joins University City District as Vice President for Workforce Solutions
We are pleased to announce the hiring of Sarah Steltz as our organization’s new Vice President for Workforce Solutions. In her new role, Sarah will oversee University City District’s nationally renowned job training program, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, and lead UCD’s efforts to connect talented local residents to University City’s explosive economic growth. Sarah will […]
JPMorgan Chase Invests $225,000 in UCD to Support Economic Opportunity for Local Residents
University City District is pleased to share that on Friday, April 6th, JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced a $225,000 grant at a presentation and symposium. The funds from this global investor will help fuel the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) job training program and support our efforts to leverage University City institutions’ purchasing power to […]
Planting a Future
The Philadelphia Citizen By Jill Harkins In 2015, Xia Frazier was 27, bouncing from a job at a fast food restaurant to a position as a cashier at Target to, finally, unemployment. An unskilled West Philadelphia resident, she was struggling to support herself and her two-year-old son on minimum wage or less. While scrolling through […]
$5 million from Lenfest Foundation will bring career training to West Philly
Technical.ly By Roberto Torres In West Philadelphia, where some 81,000 residents live under the poverty line, access to skills and a pathway to careers can provide lasting change. That’s the driving force behind the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, a program led by the University City District (UCD) that got a $5 million boost from the Lenfest Foundation Thursday. The funds, […]
At launch of city’s new workforce strategy, a panelist stresses importance of hope
The Notebook By Staff Part pep rally, part meet the players, Thursday’s breakfast launch of Philadelphia’s new workforce strategy brought together 300 workplace experts, counselors, leaders, executives from every workforce development agency in the city, and Mayor Kenney. And true to form, speaker after speaker, more than a dozen in all, used all the workforce words — bridge […]
More than 81,000 West Philadelphians live in poverty. Here’s one way to change that | Opinion
The Philadelphia Inquirer Matt Bergheiser and Keith Leaphart Philadelphia’s University City is a neighborhood of aspirational endeavors that make the city and the world radically better places. Groundbreaking advances in immunotherapy at Penn and CHOP undergird a national Cancer Moonshot Initiative to accelerate novel treatments and cures. Commercialization efforts at the Pennovation Center and the […]
University City District and Partners Receive $5 Million Grant from Lenfest Foundation to Accelerate Career Opportunities for Local Residents
We are thrilled and honored to announce that University City District, the University City Science Center and Drexel University have been awarded a $5 million grant from the Lenfest Foundation. The three-year grant will support a unique partnership that leverages University City’s explosive economic growth in order to train and place unemployed West Philadelphia residents […]
3 tips on nailing your next job search from West Philadelphia Skills Initiative
Generocity By UCD Program Managers At the end of 2017, over 40,000 Philadelphians were unemployed, meaning that thousands of people were out looking for work. How many of those individuals were approaching their search with the right mindset? Here at University City District, we started the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative to connect talented West Philadelphia residents to employers in the […]
6 inspiring city innovations from around the world – including one from Philly
The Philadelphia Inquirer By Harris Steinberg The 21st century is destined to be the century of the city. During the last decade, the percentage of the world’s population living in urban areas topped the 50 percent mark for the first time, with more than 80 percent of Americans living in metropolitan areas. At the same time, […]
Skills Initiative Gives Unemployed West Philadelphians Job Training
Penn Today By Greg Johnson She fell in love with the trees. Born and raised in West Philadelphia, she would pass through Penn as a curious and attentive child. Traveling on SEPTA with her mother, she was fascinated by the University’s arboreal campus, unique and scenic architecture, and pacific quality of life. She grew up around 52nd […]
