Way to Work Philadelphia.

The Way to Work Philadelphia! initiative successfully connected approximately 13,000 adults and youth with jobs and valuable workforce skills through the leadership of the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Youth Network, and the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation.

The initiative, which launched on May 19 and operated until September 30, 2010, used funding from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), to provide wage reimbursement that enabled local employers to hire adult employees and dramatically expanded paid internship opportunities for young people. By effectively matching regional employers with thousands of new employees, this program created a win-win-win situation for youth, job seekers, businesses, and the local economy.

A few highlights of the program include:

• New opportunities for over 9,000 young people in six-week, 120-hour summer work programs through one of three models: service learning, work experience, and internships. Youth who participated earned $7.25 per hour, or up to $870.
• In total, over 4,000 adults were matched to employment opportunities through the initiative, which allowed more than 1,600 employers to grow despite the recession. Approximately 90 percent of employees will have the opportunity to continue working after September 30th through existing EARN Center employment and training initiatives.
• The program stimulated the local economy with over $22 million in new wages.

For additional details, please read the September 30, 2010 press release.

To understand the impact of the program on participants, please read stories gathered from youth, adult, and employer participants: Way to Work Success Stories.