Philly Money Moves: $4.9M for digital literacy in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia continues to invest in workforce development as both the city and private organizations put money into training local talent.

The Wistar Institute received a grant from the National Science Foundation to expand its decades-old Biomedical Technician Training Program for the second time. The City of Philadelphia also awarded workforce grants to four local projects, including a tech and engineering venture from Hopeworks and Rodriguez University.

The state government is also investing in digital literacy to help more Pennsylvanians find jobs. Twelve local organizations received grants to start or expand digital literacy programs.

Get all the details below the chart, where we look at which companies are hiring for tech jobs in the Philadelphia market, how that’s changed since last month and how much they’re paying.

The Wistar Institute to expand workforce program with $650k grant

The Wistar Institute received a nearly $650,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand its Biomedical Technician Training Program in New Jersey and Delaware.

The Biomedical Technician Training Program started in 2000 and trains community college students for laboratory jobs. Students get hands-on laboratory training, mentorship and work experience in the paid accelerator and pre-mentorship program.

This is the second grant the program won from NSF to support the workforce program. The first was for almost $600,000 in 2021 and it helped the program expand to community colleges outside of Philadelphia. Now, the program serves eight community colleges across three states in the region.

“As the Greater Philadelphia Region’s life science sector continues to expand, there is greater demand for laboratory technicians in both academic and industry labs,” said Dario Altieri, president and CEO of The Wistar Institute. “This 25-year program has offered career pathways to a candidate pool that is eager to join the life science sector and gain access to both entry-level and long-term careers here in Philadelphia.”

Local orgs win grants to improve digital literacy

The Shapiro Administration announced $4.9 million in grants would be distributed to community organizations across Pennsylvania to improve digital literacy. This initiative is specifically through the Department of Labor and Industry to help people find jobs. This is the fifth round of digital literacy grants from the Department.

“Digital-literacy programs offer every Pennsylvanian a chance to compete for a good job on a level playing field,” Nancy Walker, labor and industry secretary, said. “With this round of funding, we’re ensuring that organizations serving nearly two-thirds of Pennsylvania counties are empowered to offer this valuable service.”

The Caring People Alliance, Drexel University, Hopeworks, North10 Philadelphia, Nueva Esperanza, Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, Temple University, Uplift Solutions and Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians all received grants up to $100,000 to launch digital literacy programs in Philadelphia County.

Manor College, Project HOME and Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association received grants to continue their existing digital literacy programs in Philadelphia County.

Department of Commerce awards 4 more workforce grants

The Department of Commerce selected tech education nonprofit Hopeworks and engineering and land surveying program Rodriguez University for the latest round of workforce solutions grants from the Department of Commerce. The partnership received $450,000 for an infrastructure bootcamp.

The project will train participants in technology, land surveying and leadership skills and prepare them for apprenticeships in the city’s Department of Streets and Philadelphia Water Department. This is one of four projects that received grants this round, with $1.15 million given out altogether.

Workforce solutions grants support projects and organizations that work to help historically disadvantaged people enter the workforce and gain skills.

“The Workforce Solutions Grant is one of our vital investments to address the talent needs of employers, increase access to workforce training opportunities for residents and to grow the economy,” said Alba Martinez, director of commerce.

More Money Moves:

• Mount Laurel-based startup RunPod raised a $20 million seed round led by Intel Capital and Dell Technologies. The company is a cloud computing service for AI applications.