Philadelphia Streets Commissioner, Carlton Williams, and The Philadelphia Streets Department announced today the completion of the 2019 Philly Future Track Program. Future Track graduates were recognized during a ceremony held on Friday, June 28 in the Mayor’s Reception Room at Philadelphia’s City Hall. This year, 20 interns participated in the initiative’s sixth class, 16 of whom completed the program. Of the 2018-2019 participants, 11 will be connected to city employment.
Commissioner Williams was joined at the ceremony by Michael Carroll, Deputy Managing Director OTIS, Keith Warren, Streets Deputy Commissioner for Sanitation, Christopher Newman, Streets Deputy Commissioner for Administration, Sheila Ireland, Executive Director for the City’s Office of Workforce Development and Mary Stitt, Chief of Staff, Streets Department. “This has been a remarkable journey for many of the Philly Future Track interns,” said Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams. “The program helps our participants transition into meaningful careers all the while promoting clean, green and safe streets – that’s what I call a win-win. We are proud of the students and this opportunity to celebrate each of them for their hard work and efforts to improve our City.”
The Philly Future Track program is part of the City as Model Employer workforce initiative designed to create viable pathways to permanent employment for Philadelphia residents. The program provides on-the-job technical training and work-based learning assignments to support interns in securing employment with the City of Philadelphia or other employers in the region. “As the economic development efforts in our city continue to expand, so does our responsibility to ensure those advancements benefit all our residents,” said Sheila Ireland, Executive Director, City of Philadelphia’s Office of Workforce Development. “The Philly Future Track program, part of City as Model Employer, is an excellent example of the tangible steps we’ve taken to create viable career pathways that benefit all Philadelphians. It is a key asset in our citywide workforce development strategy, Fueling Philadelphia’s Talent Engine.”
Future Track provides meaningful public service work, focused on improving the city’s neighborhoods by removing litter and debris, assisting in improving the city’s transportation network by performing roadway maintenance and supporting construction inspections, as well as traffic investigations work. This year, interns were assigned to a specific program track based on interest, ability and mathematics aptitude. Interns were then granted an opportunity to apply and compete for City of Philadelphia civil service employment upon successful completion of all programmatic requirements. Over the course of five months, participants received on-the-job and classroom instruction to obtain employability skills, learn positive work attitudes and develop professional work habits and behaviors to best prepare them for today’s workforce environment.
After opening remarks and speeches Future Track participants received their certificates followed by lunch and photo opportunities prior to the close of the program. Philly Future Track is made possible by several partners including City of Philadelphia, Department of Streets, Office of Workforce Development and the Mayor’s Office, among others. The program plans to roll out applications for its seventh class in Fall of 2019.