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 […]
Skills Initiative Grows to Serve Citywide Employers, New Credentialing Opportunities
As the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) expands in the months ahead, the team is building new approaches to the program model in order to better serve both employer partners and jobseekers. On Tuesday April 2nd, WPSI launched its first cohort with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) for Bus Operator positions. Not only is this […]
Staff Changes and Additions at the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), our nationally renowned job training program that connects local residents seeking opportunity with employers seeking talent, enjoyed a busy end to 2018. The Skills Initiative completed several cohorts, began recruitment for more, and made exciting staff changes that will help our program grow and reach our goal of serving […]
Changing Places, Changing Lives: Green City Works’ Xia Frazier
University City District’s Green City Works is a landscaping social venture that creates quality jobs for local community residents. In this video we profile Xia Frasier, one of our original crew members, who went from unemployed to crew leader at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania Roberts Center in two years. University City District works year-round […]
West Philadelphia Skills Initiative Employer and Graduate Spotlight
We spoke to three graduates of the Skills Initiative and three employer partners to learn how WPSI made a difference in their lives and organization.
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 […]