CUMU Conference 2019

One of the greatest assets of any organization is its employees. As a global leader, Penn makes it a priority to create a work environment that welcomes and celebrates diversity. Part of that effort includes engaging locally with communities to provide opportunities for individuals and businesses to participate in the economic activity of Philadelphia’s largest private employer. Penn’s Economic Inclusion Initiative makes this engagement possible.

Penn’s Economic Inclusion Initiative, which began in 1998, consists of three components: Work Force, Supplier Diversity, and Minority Construction. The goal of the Work Force component is to increase employment opportunities by improving job readiness skills and workforce capacity for individuals who live in West and Southwest Philadelphia.

Penn’s Recruitment team uses hiring practices and maintains partnerships to recruit, retain, and develop a highly qualified workforce in communities surrounding Penn. One example, is our partnership with the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, a training program that connects West Philadelphia employers with their graduates seeking employment opportunities. In this program participants receive cutting-edge job connection strategies and on-the-job training at Penn. University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR) is just one of Penn’s facilities that has increased its staff through the initiative, hiring 37 full-time Lab Animal Assistants since 2016.

In fiscal year 2019, Penn participated in 12 local job fairs. Overall, hiring throughout Penn continues to be robust. In fiscal year 2018, the University filled 2,400 positions. Penn is poised to exceed that number in fiscal year 2019, as the University has already made 1,953 hires to date.