Workforce Training Supports
Workforce Training Supports funds Philadelphia job training programs offering paid training and wrap-around services to help residents facing employment barriers complete training and sustain employment.
Funder: William Penn Foundation
Due Dates: Rolling (Open applications for urgent opportunities)
Funding Amounts: $13,737,850 awarded across 36 grants since 2024; project overhead support of 15–25%
Summary: Supports existing Philadelphia workforce training programs with paid training and wrap-around services that help participants complete training and sustain employment.
Key Information: This objective supports existing workforce training programs, not the creation of new programs.
Description
Workforce Training Supports is an objective of the William Penn Foundation’s Workforce Training and Services program. It focuses on high-performing job training programs that combine paid career training with wrap-around services, including child care, transportation, and counselling or coaching. These supports address barriers that can prevent Philadelphia residents from completing training and maintaining family-sustaining employment, including the inability to go without a paycheck, language barriers, and past justice-system involvement.
The Foundation seeks ideas that enable career entry and advancement for people facing significant employment barriers. Its goal is for 10,000 individuals with high barriers to employment to complete workforce training by 2035, with 85% still employed 12 months after training. Progress is measured through grantee reports on training completion, transition to employment, and employment retention.
