The U.S. Department of Transportation is pouring tech assistance into the City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphia is set to receive support from the feds, aiming to fine-tune its infrastructure job market to be more inclusive, particularly for people of color who've long been kept on the sidelines. This initiative is part of the DOT's Thriving Communities Program, which has hitched its wagon to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's historic funding spree.
Last month's announcement from the U.S. DOT got Mike Carroll, Philly's Deputy Managing Director of Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems, talking about "safer, cleaner, and greener Philadelphia" that spreads the economic opportunity pie around. "We are proud to be a recipient of the Thriving Communities Program as we continue to win grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will allow us to bring Mayor Parker’s vision for a Philadelphia with economic opportunity for all," Carroll told the City's news release. The city's Infrastructure Solutions Team intends to patch up everything from bridges to electric vehicle spots, with an eye on wealth creation and job diversity.
The TCP's cash injection will be a booster for the City and partners like Called to Serve (CTS) and PhilaWorks to establish workforce training for infrastructure gigs. In the quest to get community-based organizations more skin in the game, the City plans to bring into the fold groups that can connect residents from historically disadvantaged enclaves with gainful employment. It's a tall order, aiming to shake up typical hiring processes and get a leg up on local and economic hiring preferences granted under Section 25019 of the BIL.
The Rev. Michael A. Major, Sr., board president of Called to Serve, piped up about their partnership's chops in revitalizing neighborhoods and prepping Philly's workforce for the job market. "CTS has a strong working relationship with the City and has served as a partner in the Broad, Germantown, and Erie capital improvement project since 2017," Major stated, as recorded by the City's announcement. CTS plans to amplify the voices that are traditionally absent from the table when it comes to federal project hiring.
Meanwhile, Patrick Clancy of Philadelphia Works is all about propelling those who've been left in the dust. As a workforce development heavyweight, PhilaWorks brandishes a network of industry partners ready to rally residents towards careers and employers toward talent. "PhilaWorks leads a network of employment and training services connecting residents with career opportunities and providing employers access to the talent needed to be competitive," Clancy elucidated, as cited in the City's dispatch.
