Mayor Parker launched a new program to train community college students for city jobs

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker launched a new program to train community college students for city jobs, a workforce initiative that the mayor has referred to as her “baby” and is a top priority for her first year in office.

On Thursday, Parker welcomed a class of 75 students into the first cohort of what will be known as the City College for Municipal Employment, which is housed at the Community College of Philadelphia. The idea is that students will be recruited into the program with the explicit goal of landing a job in city government, ranging from health care workers to vehicle technicians.

The first cohort is beginning classes this month, just four months after lawmakers finalized the city budget and included $10 million for the program.

“We wanted to make sure that we stood this program up as soon as we possibly could,” Parker said in remarks during a launch event Thursday, adding: “Mayor Parker is happy today.”

» READ MORE: Cherelle Parker signs order aimed at removing college degree requirements for some city jobs

Administration officials touted the program as two-fold: it’s expected to create pipelines to family-sustaining jobs for people who may not have otherwise been qualified for them. And it can chip away at the hundreds of open positions in city government amid a years-long understaffing crisis.

Dating to her time as a member of City Council, Parker has long prioritized finding ways to ease the path to city work. In 2020, she pushed for stricter residency requirements for city workers, effectively setting aside more jobs for Philadelphians. The following year, she championed a change to city law that eliminated the “rule of two,” which required hiring mangers to choose between the two applicants who scored highest on exams.

When Parker took office as mayor in January, one of the first executive orders she signed began the process of eliminating college degree requirements for some city jobs, part of a larger plan to reshape the way the municipal government hires and promotes workers.

On Thursday, students in the first-ever City College for Municipal Employment class thanked Parker. Nathaniel Caldwell stood at the podium with his young son in his arms, and said he’s studying information technology with a focus in cybersecurity.

“This couldn’t have come at a better time for me,” he said. “I was already looking to go back to school and further myself in my career… The only thing that could stop me was me.”