Hearing Recommendations

Recommendations for the School District of Philadelphia

1. SDP should begin teaching students career and technical education classes in ninth grade.

A strict block scheduling approach focused only on core subjects for students in ninth grade is not the best approach for students. Ninth grade is an invaluable time for students that must be utilized in the most effective way. Students should be able to enroll in career and technical education programming for four full years, as allowed by our state’s Department of Education.

In Philadelphia, CTE schools are treated like traditional high schools, placing the primary focus on academics. Workforce has indicated that the primary skills needed for future jobs will require skilled labor. They are looking for individuals who possess the 21st century skills, like critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, information literacy, media literacy, technology literacy, flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, and social skills.

Marie Patterson: Transcript pgs. 223-224

Currently, students who may have an interest in a career are not able to explore that path until tenth grade. SDP has the ability to rework the curriculum and create a dynamic and flexibile curriculum for students interested in career and technical education to get the academic skills they need while also allowing them to start training in their preferred field.

2. SDP, Commerce, and Philadelphia Works should have more frequent meetings to ensure that the career and technical education curriculum is aligned with economic indicators.

SDP holds an annual official meeting with partners to discuss career and technical education, but that is not enough. As highlighted above, SDP officials understand the need to partner with businesses across Philadelphia to provide more internships and opportunities for Philadelphia students, and more frequent collaboration could help achieve that goal.

To ensure preparedness for post-COVID-19 career opportunities, a holistic ecosystem approach to collaborative problem solving is envisioned. One of the important lessons of the COVID-19 response is that a systematic, collaborative community approach is required to quickly achieve positive, large-scale community outcomes.

Dr. Pam Carter: Transcript pgs. 93-94

SDP should better utilize the available research and resources to make sure their career readiness programs are helping prepare students for jobs in growing industries. SDP should collaborate more regularly with Philadelphia Works and Commerce to ensure pathways to employment are realized.

3. SDP should continue and expand collaboration with the state to ensure career and technical education programs are well funded and meeting the demands of the labor market.

The state has significant oversight over career and technical education, ranging from program development to certifications to funding.

So they are now looking at also what are the studies showing, where are those areas in which we need to pivot our programming so that our young people actually have and could have life-sustaining wages. And we are working with them to look at what are the competencies that are in our existing programs and how do we make them more rigorous and strengthened, and then how do we create new programs to align with what industry and all of the data showing us…

Michelle Armstrong: Transcript pgs. 77-78

By increasing collaboration with the state, SDP may be able to take advantage of additional opportunities or more quickly adapt programs to meet the needs of employers in Philadelphia, helping students get into careers faster upon graduation.

Recommendations for City Council

1. City Councilmembers should use their relationships to help build more employer partnerships for the School District.

City Council plays a role in attracting and developing businesses in Philadelphia. Creating a strong talent pipeline is crucial to achieving that goal.

In order to be successful in providing as many students as possible with quality career exposure and experience, we will need to engage as many of our employers as possible, including large corporations and small businesses. We ask for Council’s partnership in reaching out to employers to ensure a robust pool of opportunities for our young people.

Catie Wolfgang: Transcript pg. 18

City Councilmembers have strong relationships with businesses and business organizations and can work with the Administration, the School District, and non-profits to help identify target employers for internship and apprenticeship opportunites. City Councilmembers know which jobs are coming to their districts and can work directly with those employers to develop programs in tandem with SDP. This collaboration will develop more skilled workers for those jobs and encourage employers to make an investment in Philadelphia.

Recommendations for the Administration

1. The Administration should collaborate with SDP to ensure jobs in the City can be filled.

Workforce training is not only crucial for the private sector, but the public sector also needs to prepare for a significant wave of retirements. Three quarters of the City’s workforce will be eligible for retirement in about 12 years., 18 SDP should be a collaborative partner with the Office of Human

Resources and others in the Administration to ensure school district graduates have direct pathways to city employment. A collaboration with SDP will require the Administration to take a more active role and greater responsibility to ensure students have the skills necessary to fill necessary jobs.

…We have an expression on the Mayor’s side of model employer, so how can we from the City be a model of these efforts and creating more of those spaces and opportunities for young people to come in and participate, to shadow and learn about how City government works and just to be a part of the process…

Otis Hackney: Transcript pg. 81

The Administration stated that it takes seriously career and technical education and job readiness for students, and some departments have developed direct internships, apprenticeships, and even reconfigured job specifications to help bring in more school district graduates. This is an important start, but all departments should be taking this active approach to recruitment, so the City truly becomes a model employer.

2. The Administration should help build partnerships between SDP and private employers in Philadelphia.

The Administration is in a strong position to build relationships between private employers and SDP. The Administration, through permitting, licensing, or direct conversations can interact with employers directly and advocate on behalf of SDP to develop job training opportunities for SDP students. A more active approach with employers will be necessary to support current Philadelphia businesses to develop future employees, as well as encourage outside businesses to relocate into Philadelphia.

Achieving and sustaining Philadelphia’s commitment to an equitable economic recovery requires a robust career-connected learning system to ensure all young people graduate from high school inspired to achieve their career goals and prepared for the rigor involved in earning industry-valued post-secondary credentials.

Catie Wolfgang: Transcript pg. 18