Our Mission and Strategy

• The big picture

  JOIN seeks to increase the number of Greater Philadelphia workers earning family-sustaining wages. To realize this vision, we support industry-led partnerships that train low-wage workers for high-demand, mid-skilled positions. Through our efforts, JOIN enhances the workforce system in the region to better meet the needs of 21st Century workers and employers.

• The problem

  Greater Philadelphia is experiencing parallel workforce crises: employers in the region lack a strong talent pipeline to fill critical jobs, while an alarmingly high percentage of adults are in the labor force only marginally or not at all.

• The solution

  JOIN believes industry-led partnerships offer a solution to Greater Philadelphia’s challenges by simultaneously addressing the skill needs of low-income workers and the talent needs of regional businesses. These partnerships bring together a number of employers in the same industry to identify talent gaps. Then, the partnerships connect these employers to training providers, state agencies, and community-based non-profits that help prepare low-skilled adults to fill available, mid-skilled positions. This approach builds on the mutual interest of employers and workers.