Our Approach: We work to prepare teens and young adults for lifelong success.

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Why Our Approach Works

PYN works to prepare young people for career success by supporting programs that directly serve them and the evolving needs of employers. Through this dual approach, we hope to tackle systemic issues, increase equality in the workforce, and eliminate poverty in Philadelphia.

a graphic showing a career development framework, including awareness, exploration and preparation, training and immersion, and advancement

Career Development Framework

PYN and our partners use the Career Development Framework (CDF) as a tool to illustrate the youth workforce development system in order to improve training, engage employers, and develop citywide strategies that provide career opportunities to young people.

Over 20 years’ experience and annually partnering with 80+ program providers.

Success Story

Since our founding, PYN has been dedicated to helping young Philadelphians. With the help of our program partners and more than $15M in support annually, we provide education and employment opportunities to teens and young adults in the city.

Leveraging Local and National Partnerships

PYN partners to build a far-reaching system of educational and employment opportunities for teens and young adults in Philadelphia.

Summer Youth Employment Cabinet

The Summer Youth Employment Cabinet is comprised of a group of individuals, foundations and organizations that support summer jobs. The Cabinet manages the Philly Summer Jobs Fund in order to create opportunities for young people to gain the skills and work experience they need to succeed in today's economy.

Aspen Opportunity Youth Forum

The Aspen Opportunity Youth Forum is a network of over two dozen urban and rural communities that provide innovative and collaborative solutions to reconnect Opportunity Youth (16- to 24-year-olds who are out of work and school) with better education and employment opportunities.

Collective Impact Forum

The Collective Impact Forum is a cross-sector network of individuals who share knowledge to accelerate the effectiveness of the collective impact approach for positive social change.

Influencing Policy

PYN works with a number of boards, commissions and affiliates who help influence policy in favor of teens and young adults looking for better lives in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board

The Board acts as a private advisor to the governor on how to build a strong workforce in Pennsylvania that aligns with state education and economic development goals. PYN is honored to support this statewide work with our President and CEO serving on the Youth Committee of the Board.

Advising Locally, Regionally, and Nationally

PYN is proud to be represented by team members in a wide range of advisory roles, all aimed at better support and services for young people. These include the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC), the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ+ Affairs, the Pennsylvania Department of Education Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Task Force, and more.

Helping Employers

Skilled Career Pathways for Young Talent

The Skilled Career Pathways for Young Talent Initiative was developed to increase employment for Opportunity Youth (youth aged 16-24) in the fields of technology and healthcare. Upon completion of the program, young people are placed in jobs with skilled advancement opportunities.

Investing in Employers

Whether you’re an employer or a service provider, PYN has a myriad of ways to support you while you work with the teens and young adults of Philadelphia. Through corporate philanthropy, we are able to help employers sustain and grow to fuel improvements. We work with elected officials who leverage policy and financial investments to help employers achieve their goals despite limited resources. And the return on investment for employers is the development of young talent, the building of diversity, equity, and inclusion within their workplace, and effecting a positive social change in Philadelphia.

Current Programs

WorkReady

WorkReady programs supply skill-building opportunities and paid work experiences for 12-24-year-olds in Philadelphia. WorkReady offers young people the chance to work in many different career fields in order to develop the critical skills necessary to grow in an increasingly competitive economy.

WorkReady

Historical Programs

E3

E³ services help young people ages 16-24 take the next step toward a career. Through comprehensive and individualized support, we connect teens and young adults to post-secondary education, paid work experience, adult mentorship, career pathway coaching, and more.

E3

Project U-Turn

Project U-Turn is an alliance that increases the graduation rate and prepares young people for the future.

Project U-Turn Logo

Driving with Data

Data for Impact

To improve outcomes for teens and young adults in Philadelphia, PYN has built a data capacity to increase the number of youth who have high school diplomas and decrease the number of youth who are disconnected from school and work. We do this, and a number of other data-based initiatives, by chartering research, fielding surveys, and hosting interviews to inform our work and make a maximum impact.

Using Opportunity Youth Data to Achieve Impact 

With support from the Aspen Institute, PYN has been able to track and quantify local opportunity youth (ages 16-24 and disconnected from school/work) and set target goals for re-engagement. Click below to learn more about how PYN uses opportunity youth metrics to drive our program targeting and evaluation. 

Stay Informed

From national endeavors to local initiatives, stay in the know about PYN’s youth workforce development in the city of brotherly love.

Contact PYN

We are always on the lookout for additional partners, providers, employers, investors, and young people to join our programs.

Requests for Proposals

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