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About WPSI
Connecting employers seeking talent with West Philadelphians seeking opportunity.
Our Story
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) was created in 2011 as an innovative response to the dichotomies of Philadelphia’s economy. In spite of large swaths of substantial growth driven by anchor institutions and private employers, Philadelphia remains the poorest big city in America. Our work bridges this gap by building a talent management solution that connects Philadelphians seeking opportunity with employers seeking talent.
WPSI works closely with its employer partners to understand their talent challenges and aspirations. We recruit, assess, select, train and place residents in career-ladder jobs that offer stability and opportunities for advancement.
Since WPSI’s inception, program participants who had previously been unemployed for an average of 53 weeks have gone on to earn more than $30 million in collective wages while increasing employers' productivity and excellence.
Results
Here at the Skills Initiative, we take data very seriously. We constantly collect and analyze data and feedback in order to drive program improvements that better serve participants and employer partners. We are pleased to share that our efforts to connect talent to opportunity have yielded transformational results for employers, jobseekers, and our community.
Our Team
The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative is staffed by individuals who are committed to the success of both jobseekers and employers.
As Vice President of Workforce Solutions, Sarah Steltz oversees the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative and leads UCD’s efforts to connect talented residents to University City’s explosive economic growth.
Joshua Park is the Senior Manager of Employer Services, managing and improving the full employer partner experience while also overseeing jobseeker recruitment, assessment, and selection for each cohort.
Caitlin Garozzo is our Senior Manager of Learning and Development, designing and managing the WPSI participant experience both during and after the program.
Fontaine Gutierrez is our Operations Coordinator, working across the team to increase the effectiveness of WPSI’s business practices.
Patrick Bayer is our Manager of Continuous Improvement, and works to assess the program’s overall effectiveness through the development of formal evaluation metrics.
Tiffany Smith is the Coordinator of Participant Services, working with participants and alumni to connect them to supportive resources and services.
Funders
WPSI’s investors are crucial partners and visionary funders who have joined with us to make this program a reality. We thank the following organizations and institutions for making pivotal investments in the vitality of West Philadelphia’s communities:
ACE Charitable Foundation
Bank of America Foundation
Barra Foundation
Claneil Foundation
Citi Foundation
Citizens Bank Foundation
Connelly Foundation
Department of Community and Economic Development through the Mayor’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity
Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation
Equal Measure
GlaxoSmithKline
Job Opportunity Investment Network
The Lenfest Foundation
Lincoln Financial Foundation
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
McLean Contributionship
Patricia Kind Family Foundation
Pew Charitable Trusts
The Philadelphia Foundation
Samuel S. Fels Fund
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
Wexford Science + Technology
Wells Fargo Foundation |