In June, the Philadelphia Skills Forward initiative, a partnership between the Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Works, Accenture, and Graduate Philadelphia hit a milestone: over 2,500 learners have engaged with the program since it launched in late 2020. Started at the height of the pandemic, the goal of the initiative was to provide training, mentoring, and job connections for displaced workers, with a particular focus on Black and brown workers that were disproportionally impacted by pandemic-related job losses.
The program provides opportunities for both learners and employers. Through an online learning portal, participants can access education and training connected to three distinct learning tracks: Entrepreneurship, Health Tech and Administration, and IT Customer Support. In addition to the specialized career tracks, courses that focus on digital literacy, career management, and professional skills are available.
Employers that engage with the Philadelphia Skills Forward Initiative have the opportunity to connect to talent in several ways:
· Serve as a guest instructor as part of the training program
· Consider participants for employment at your organization
· Mentor a participant
The mentorship component of the program has been particularly popular with learners and employers alike. Through a matching process led by Philadelphia Works, program participants are paired with mentors from area businesses. To date, nearly 200 program participants have expressed an interest in being matched with a mentor.
One such successful match was made between Angela Vacante and Karla Hill. Angela is the Chief Operating Officer at Bittenbender Construction, a firm that is well-known for its commitment to supporting female entrepreneurs and communities of color. Karla currently works in Human Resources for local government, and she joined Philadelphia Skills Forward to build skills that will serve her now and post-retirement. Karla sees continuing education as vital and deeply connected to her current career. “Part of HR is equipping yourself; you always have to be in learning mode.”
With their complimentary areas of expertise, the pair has found the relationship to be mutually beneficial, with Angela talking through key talent issues with Karla, and Karla getting the chance to learn more about entrepreneurship from Angela. A goal she had when she entered the program. From Angela’s perspective, “I don’t know if we can even call this a mentor/mentee relationship. We’ve been freely and organically exchanging on an ongoing basis. We’ve been flipping ideas, learning from each other.”
For Angela and Karla, what started as a mentorship program experience has evolved into a relationship that supports the professional development of both women. As Karla said, “You might go into a program not sure what to expect, but you always come out learning something from each other, whether that’s self-discovery or business discovery.”
This is just one example of many successful mentorships that have resulted from the initiative. Philadelphia Skills Forward continues to cultivate meaningful connections for displaced workers and those looking to expand their skills. As the program grows, so do the opportunities for engagement for both learners and employers.
If you’re interested in learning more about how Philadelphia Skills Forward can support your professional development and job connections through online learning and networking, visit: https://www.philaworks.org/philadelphia-skills-forward-initiative/
If you’re interested in serving as mentor, instructor, or offering employment opportunities at your organization to Philadelphia Skills Forward participants, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/skillsbased-hiring
The Chamber is working to leverage the region’s assets to make Greater Philadelphia the new national model to learn, apprentice, and work in the jobs of the future. We are doing this through our initiatives that focus on creating clear pathways for workers.
