Education First Compact: Tackling The City’s Talent Pipeline Challenge: The Role of Education Systems -Mar 6

Posted by Philadelphia Education Fund on February 20, 2024

The subtitle of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s recently issued report, Understanding America’s Labor Shortage: The Most Impacted Industries, reads, “American businesses are creating hundreds of thousands of jobs each month, yet a significant number of positions still remain unfilled.”

American businesses are not alone. This fall, the City of Philadelphia announced 4,600 vacant positions. In 2022, the Philadelphia Police Department allocated $1M towards recruitment efforts to fill more than 1,000 openings. Further, this February, a study revealed that the rate of teacher attrition at the School District of Philadelphia is outpacing the rates at which new teachers are graduating.

In June 2022, the Biden White House launched the Talent Pipeline Challenge to get ahead of predicted labor shortages in manufacturing. In Philadelphia, for its part, the life sciences and the energy and infrastructure industries formed talent collaboratives and successfully competed for a Good Jobs Challenge grant aimed at developing the future workforce for these industries.

Business attraction leaders share that the first question they are asked by companies considering Philadelphia is how the city is addressing talent needs. The city’s civic and business leaders are deploying strategies to respond to this challenge – through upskilling, reskilling, talent attraction and talent retention efforts. But, what are we doing to support Philadelphia’s homegrown talent – its K-12 students?

In this session of Education First Compact, we’ll take in findings from The College Payoff and After Everything, research conducted by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, to explore the role that education systems can play in bridging Philadelphia’s talent pipeline challenge.

PANELISTS:

• Nicole Smith, Chief Economist, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce
• Isaiah Thomas, Philadelphia City Councilmember; Chair, Education Committee
• Dr. Tony Watlington, Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia

MODERATOR: Farah Jimenez, President and CEO, Philadelphia Education Fund

CO-CHAIRS: Katherine Gilmore Richardson & Isaiah Thomas, Philadelphia Councilmembers

Program Schedule:

• 8:15 – 8:45am Networking (please note this later start time)
• 8:45 – 9:45am Presentation
• 9:45 – 10:30am Moderated Q & A

Complimentary coffee & a light breakfast to be provided.

Date and Time: Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 8:15 – 10:30 AM

Location: Deloitte Offices, 1700 Market Street, 27th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (Guests will check in with security in the lobby and be directed to the elevators.)

Register.