Strong Partnerships Are Key to Linking Growth and Opportunity
The Intersector Project By Staff A Business Improvement District (BID) is “a public-private partnership in which property and business owners elect to make a collective contribution to the maintenance, development, and promotion of their commercial district,” according to the NYC Neighborhood Development Division. While these responsibilities typically fall to local government, BIDs bring together private-sector stakeholders […]
West Philadelphia Skills Initiative: Changing Places and Changing Lives
University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative program provides opportunities for West Philadelphians to earn employment in career-ladder positions. Meet three graduates of the program and see how their lives have changed.
West Philadelphia Skills Initiative Partners With Children’s Hospital
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative works to offer opportunities to unemployed West Philadelphians seeking work in the community. In this video, hear about our work with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and why CHOP has chosen to work with the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative on multiple occasions.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3hyytKTgPc&feature=youtu.be
WPSI Recruiting Landscape Technicians
Recruitment is now open for our next cohort with the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative. We are seeking candidates interested in training and job opportunities as landscape technicians with Green City Works. Participants of this program will enjoy: A guaranteed interview with Green City Works. Cutting-edge job connection strategies resulting in 95% of WPSI graduates finding […]
Why Your Commercial District Needs an Anti-Poverty Strategy
Next City By Matt Bergheiser Could a platform established decades ago to shape the physical well-being of urban centers offer an answer to the challenge of economic disconnection in city neighborhoods? When business improvement districts (BIDs) first emerged in the U.S., property owners in one commercial area, or along a certain corridor, came together to […]
WPSI Impact Report 2016
WPSI Impact Report 2016
WPSI Participants Tell Their Story
We asked three graduates of the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative program to speak about their experiences and how their lives have changed since completing the program. Meet Mark Gay, Joyce Bacon, and Myna Whitney, three West Philadelphians who struggled to find employment success before enrolling in the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative.
WPSI Recruiting Customer Service Professionals for Allied Barton
Now Recruiting Customer Service Professionals for Allied Barton! Ready to start or advance your career in security services? This fall, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) will launch the next session of its nationally-recognized Connect to Success program. Building on WPSI’s successful partnership with Allied Barton, this training program is tailored to West Philadelphians interested […]
Congratulating our WPSI Valet Program Graduates!
On Friday, February 13th, 16 members of our latest training cohort graduated from the program and got one step closer to landing jobs as valet drivers with one of the largest parking management companies in North America. During the two-week session, the group learned valuable lessons in customer service, job interviews, financial responsibility, and resume writing. During graduation, […]
West Philly jobs and training
Penn Today By Staff In February, the University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) will launch the next session of its nationally recognized “Connect to Success” training program. In partnership with one of the largest parking management companies in North America, this three-week training program is tailored to motivated West Philadelphians who wantto build […]
Going beyond ‘train and pray’ jobs initiatives
Philadelphia Business Journal By Matt Bergheiser How can at-risk young adults gain the skills to set them on the path to career success? The answer lies in programs that help people connect to livable-wage jobs. Read Full Article
Citizens Bank Foundation awards $50,000 grant for UCD’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative
On February 28th, Citizens Bank Foundation announced a $50,000 grant for University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), an innovative job training program that connects West Philadelphia employers to unemployed West Philadelphians. The check presentation was made during a training session for the Drexel College of Medicine Certified Medical Assistant pipeline, a partnership between […]