We identify a two-pronged set of priorities for how we connect with neighboring communities: Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow.

JOBS TODAY is our local economic inclusion strategy. It is all about prioritizing local hiring for positions in the university, and maximizing the investment in salaries that we make in West Philadelphia. It is looking for opportunities to purchase needed goods and services locally, enabling Philadelphia-based businesses to likewise increase their local hiring. We have laid out local-inclusion goals for ourselves when we do on-campus construction and renovation. And we offer a set of adult education resources for residents who want to finish their high school diploma in order to be eligible for a wider range of job opportunities, and to get up to speed with digital skills.

JOBS TOMORROW is about leveraging resources to support family-sustaining jobs in West Philadelphia and contributing to the kind of community stability that best serves families’ and children’s needs.

Jobs Tomorrow creates a pipeline of learning opportunities for those children. Drexel convenes partnerships for place-based investments in this pipeline starting with early education. As the Schuylkill Yards innovation district is established over the next few decades, we envision satisfying career paths and opportunities for children born today in the Promise Zone, and we are working in partnership with key stakeholders to help them get there.