PHILADELPHIA WORKS TO LAUNCH “PLATFORM TO EMPLOYMENT” JOB TRAINING PROGRAM FOR LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED

On Wednesday, May 11, Philadelphia Works, the City’s Workforce Development Board, in collaboration with The Workplace, will launch an innovative new job training program for long-term unemployed (27 weeks or longer) residents of Philadelphia. The “Platform to Employment” (P2E) Launch Event and business roundtable will be hosted at the PA CareerLink® Northwest Philadelphia Center located at 5847 Germantown Avenue.  25 long-term unemployed individuals will share personal stories of how they ended up enrolled in the program after a long spell of unemployment, and engage with potential local employers about the challenges they have faced in returning to the workforce.

P2E, which began in Southwest Connecticut in 2011, combines a five-week job readiness training course with personal and family support services and financial counseling, all at no cost to the participant. P2E historically has placed nearly eighty percent of its participants into work experience programs with local employers, with ninety percent of these participants subsequently moving on to full-time employment upon completion of the program.