Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Regional Economic Strategy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Business, nonprofits and Pew urge a regional, employer-driven strategy to grow quality jobs
Summary
Pew, the Chamber, PIDC, the University City District and community providers told council a regional, sector-focused strategy and stronger public-private coordination (including transit access and employer-driven training) are needed to expand middle‑wage job growth in precision manufacturing, enterprise digital solutions and biomedical production.
Research and business leaders urged Philadelphia City Council on March 18 to pursue a regional, employer‑driven approach to grow quality jobs that do not require four‑year degrees.
Katie Wolf-Gang of the Pew Charitable Trusts summarized a Brookings/Pew market assessment concluding southeastern Pennsylvania underperformed peer regions on traded-sector job growth. The assessment identifies three opportunity clusters where the region can competitively expand family‑sustaining positions: enterprise digital solutions, precision manufacturing and biomedical engineering and production.
Representatives of employer-facing organizations — Nikki Prumphrey of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and Jodie Harris of PIDC — emphasized that training alone will not create jobs. They urged a predictable regulatory and permitting environment, demand‑driven funding for training that maps to employer needs, and targeted investments in "last‑mile" transit connections to job centers such as the Navyyard.
The Navyyard was cited as a model of employer‑driven workforce alignment: PIDC and partner programs have run cohorts tied to employer hiring at the site, and the Navyyard's growth is tied to site-specific training programs (PIDC recently launched a 14‑week welding program with Hanoa Philly Shipyard). Witnesses said employers want assurances that a reliable talent pipeline will be available as they scale operations and that the region must coordinate across county lines to attract traded‑sector investment.
Nonprofit providers and workforce intermediaries at the hearing said industry partnerships, student stipends, credential funding and wraparound services (transportation, child care, emergency assistance) are practical levers to improve placement and retention. Panelists also highlighted pilot philanthropic-public match programs that layer flexible foundation funds on top of restricted public dollars to pay for retention supports; these pilots are being evaluated for scalability.
Council members and witnesses agreed that a multi-jurisdictional strategy will be required to convert sector growth into jobs that are both high quality and accessible to Philadelphia residents. Pew and Brookings will release a regional playbook in May with concrete tactics and recommended public-private co-investment strategies.
