Philly tech leaders reveal how they’re changing HR to future-proof their workforce 

Philadelphia’s future workforce depends on collaboration and early outreach, especially to better engage underrepresented communities. 

Some organizations have begun tackling those issues by centering employees’ voices. Others are focusing on apprenticeships for individuals from nontraditional backgrounds, according to executives from software company Boomi, Comcast, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and the University City Science Center at a Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) panel last week.

“The more that we are doing to expose people to opportunities, support them through the very real barriers of representation as well as [the] very real barriers of life,” said Nikki Pumphrey, the Chamber’s vice president of talent and workforce, in reference to barriers to entry for talent. 

Each company has its own unique approach. Comcast’s Project UP, for instance, is a billion-dollar commitment to digital equity and economic development. Boomi partnered with PACT on its Apprenti program to bring more people into the sector. And at the Science Center, the FirstHand program puts a new emphasis on youth-oriented STEM learning with aims to diversify Philadelphia’s talent pipeline.

This work is coming at a critical moment. 

Major employers are confronting significant hiring gaps and a mismatch between available roles and local skill sets. Access to quality jobs, both technical and otherwise, remains uneven, but the city’s existing infrastructure offers plenty of room for cross-sector partnerships, panelists said.

“We can make sure that the net that we’re building for our young people and our young adults is secure, so again, fewer people go through,” said Alina Ispas Montbriand, senior director of project strategy and operations at Boomi. 

New entry-level pathways to strengthen the workforce

Workforce development conversations have intensified as Philadelphia looks to remain competitive in a rapidly shifting economy. 

Many local workers face barriers such as housing or food insecurity, which makes retraining difficult, panelists said. Yet momentum is building around new ways into the workforce like apprenticeships, long-term mentorship and inclusive hiring processes.

The Chamber and partner organizations have been addressing these challenges for years, but now they’re joined by a growing number of tech firms and nonprofits. Each one is seeking to meet the city’s demand for skilled labor while advancing equity.

There’s room for growth, however, by using data to define future strategies. Pairing quantitative impact metrics with anecdotal employee experiences can make the case for new investments or expansions, panelists said.

Despite progress, panelists warned of a healthcare workforce deficit that could worsen without a unified approach. They emphasized that in the next five years, nearly every job will require new skills. 

Growing companies must incorporate diversity and inclusion from the start, they said, rather than retrofitting these goals later.

“It makes me so excited to hear when people are starting and growing businesses, because you don’t have any of the infrastructure,” Pumphrey said. “You could do whatever you want. You could build it however you want. You could bake in equity at the ground floor.”