The Chamber is celebrating news from a recent Campus Philly report that shows Philadelphia is leading the nation in the growth of 25- to 34-year-old college-educated people. It further indicates that 50% of the region’s college graduates choose to stay in Greater Philadelphia after graduation. The report, Philadelphia Momentum: Leveraging College Graduate Retention for Continued Growth in Greater Philadelphia, which reflects research conducted by Econsult Solutions, Inc. (ESI), was created in partnership with the Chamber, Philadelphia Works, and the City of Philadelphia Commerce Department. 

To convey the report’s key findings and impact, the Chamber created a one-page summary. “This is a resource for Chamber members and the business community to help amplify the region’s talent story,” said Sarah Steltz, Vice President of Economic Competitiveness, who leads the Chamber’s workforce initiatives. 

“Our region’s talent is one of its greatest assets and opportunities,” Steltz continued. “As demonstrated in this report, the growth of Philadelphia’s talent pool — and the desire of students to live and work in Philadelphia after graduation — will tremendously impact our regional economic growth. The Chamber will continue building our diverse workforce in support of high-quality jobs.” 

Amplifying the report’s findings is one way the Chamber is working to grow and engage the region’s talent pool and connect them to the Greater Philadelphia business community.  

Here are three more: 

1) Attracting Talent in Key Industries

Greater Philadelphia’s leadership and potential growth in life sciences, cell and gene therapy, and technology underscores the importance of aligning educational offerings with industry needs. 

The Chamber has been collaborating for four years on workforce development initiatives in life sciences and cell and gene therapy through the Life Science Talent Collaborative, including partnering on a pilot biomedical technician training program and telling talent stories through the Discovery Starts with Me video series. 

In January 2023, the Chamber launched its Tech Talent Initiative with the goal of increasing the diversity and concentration of workers in technology occupations as a share of the total to 8% by 2030, up from 4.3% in 2022. 

A Chamber study of how talent perceives Greater Philadelphia as a region in which to live and work is informing a Tech Talent Initiative marketing campaign, which will launch in early 2024. Among the key findings:   

  • Only 24% of respondents would not consider relocating to Greater Philadelphia, and 86% of respondents working in tech would be interested in employment at a non-core tech firm.  
  • External talent provides high ratings of Greater Philadelphia as a place to visit but more moderate ratings for the region as a place to live and work.    
  • Greater Philadelphia has an opportunity to define itself as an “alternative tech hub,” offering stable yet meaningful career opportunities in cutting-edge organizations.   

2) Engaging Young Professionals through the Young Professionals Council (YPC)

Through its Young Professionals Council (YPC), the Chamber fosters ambition and builds a strong community to shape Greater Philadelphia’s future success and growth. Over the past year, YPC hosted 15 programs to engage regional young professionals, including networking receptions, professional development workshops, YPC 101s, Meet the C-Suite Forums, a Connect for Community Impact event, and a City Council At-Large Candidate Forums in collaboration with the Chamber’s Civic Affairs Engagement Table. 

“The over 1,500 young leaders involved with the Chamber’s YPC work in diverse industries, including life sciences, tech, and innovation,” said Ileana Fortuno, Engagement Coordinator, who leads the Council. “By engaging with this Chamber resource, they are becoming more experienced, community-oriented, collaborative, and connected as they grow in their careers in Greater Philadelphia.” 

3) Collaborating with Campus Philly

The Chamber partnered with  Campus Philly to develop the Ultimate Career Guide for Young Professionals, by Young Professionals, based on focus groups from YPC’s network, and joined two Campus Philly job fairs this fall, helping connect the region’s university students to the Chamber’s engagement and retention activities. 

In the coming months, the Chamber will assist Campus Philly as it leads the region in efforts to sustain the growth detailed in the Philadelphia Momentum report. 

“Moving forward, collaboration among regional organizations will be essential to realize the comprehensive strategy needed to address evolving workforce needs in Greater Philadelphia,” said Dr. Jennifer Kebea, President, Campus Philly. 

To learn more about engaging with the Chamber in growing the region’s young talent, visit our website. Select Greater Philadelphia (Select) offers a jobs board and resources for talent looking to jump-start their career in Greater Philadelphia. For more information contact Sarah Steltz, Vice President, Economic Competitiveness, at ssteltz@chamberphl.com.