Where Policy Meets People

Widening the Gap: Learning, Earning, and COVID The COVID pandemic reversed years of improving high school dropout rates by untethering millions of young people from the institutions that were already struggling to support them. In this episode we examine the implications for the long-term earning potential of these students and ultimately, the labor market.   To understand the impact on young people in our region, we talked to education advocates including Philadelphia City Councilmember Derek Green and Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend, immediate past President and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network. For the national context, we spoke to Chauncy Lennon at the Lumina Foundation, about the long-term skills and labor market implications.  And JEVS Human Services' E3 Center member Kareema shares her personal story as she refocuses on her education and future.

WARNING: This Episode contains explicit language. Ten years ago when The Choice is Yours (TCY) was launched in Philadelphia, division was novel concept in justice reform. Now, with nearly a decade of success at TCY, we take a step to look at how these programs work and why should they need to be considered in community strategies to rethinking crime and punishment. To understand these interventions, we talk to Ed McCann, First Assistant District Attorney in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, who is currently working to replicate TCY in his jurisdiction. For a national perspective, we poke to Kirby Gaherty at the National League of Cities, working on justice initiatives within their Institute for Youth, Education & Families. For a first-person perspective, Jason, Trey and Katie share their personal stories as participants in TCY as they work toward clean records and fresh starts. Produced by: JEVS Human Services PWPvideo

President Biden's recent Declaration to raise the refugee arrival cap and news coverage of tens of thousands of Afghan families fleeing their country has us wondering just how prepared is the United States to welcome the newcomer?  After several years of steadily declining refugee admissions in the US, is the refugee-serving system able to handle an influx of newcomers? And what of the United States' role in a global response to displacement in places like Afghanistan and around the world?  Should we--and can we--lead by example?  To better understand these complex issues, we spoke Naomi Steinberg of HIAS and noted immigration attorney State Representative Joe Hohenstein.  Olha and Mohammed, two former refugees building new lives in Philadelphia, share their poignant stories of coming to America with not much more than their hopes and dreams.   Produced by JEVS Human Services PWPvideo

It is graduation season and adults from all walks of life are heading into (or back into) the job market with new credentials.  While some are 21 year-olds with four-year undergrad degrees, many more are young people completing high school diplomas after a pause in their education.  Still others are adults completing that post-secondary degree to get ahead or make a new start.  So what skills do you need to succeed in the labor these days? H. Patrick Clancy of Philadelphia Works, Inc. talks stackable credentials and preparing for that pandemic-proof job and Leslie Ballway of Peirce College shares advice on job search and why we all need to be life-long learners.  Class of 2021 grads Camille, Virgilio, Sam and Nicholas share their educational journeys, hopes and goals for their next steps.   Produced by JEVS Human Services PWPvideo

The past year has redefined much of everyday life, including the notion of the essential worker. Direct Support Professionals or DSPs, the caring and committed people who support individuals with disabilities, stayed on the job despite the risk.  Isn't it finally time that we elevate this workforce with the wages and prestige this critical job deserves? Are these heroes worth more than $12.50 an hour? Joseph MacBeth of the National Association of Direct Support Professionals discusses the opportunities to professionalize this work and State Representative Stephen Kinsey (PA-201), a former DSP himself, talks about prioritizing public support for this workforce.  Edward “Gee” Culmer reflects on a 20+ year career in the field and Clara Thompson of JEVS Human Services describes the challenges of finding and keeping the workforce needed for this important work. Produced by JEVS Human Services PWPvideo

With a national discussion around major infrastructure investment, including training to prepare jobseekers to access these good jobs, could this be an opportunity for women to thrive in an industry in which they currently make up on 10% of the labor force?  Just how does infrastructure equal economic opportunity?  Philadelphia's Councilwoman Cherelle Parker, the Chair of the Delaware River Port Authority, and Leslie Richards, SEPTA General Manager, talk about the real economic (and jobs) impact of investment in bridges, transit and roads. Kathy O'Malley, SEPTA lineman, talks about finding her calling and making a good living doing a “man's job” and Christine Bronson of JEVS' Orleans Technical College talks about the contributions women are making in male-dominated sectors.   Produced by JEVS Human Services PWPvideo

Unemployment is at an all-time high in the Philly Metro region -- and across the country-- so what does a post-COVID labor market look like? Who has been hit hardest and how do we get them back to work? Deb Sacca shares her journey of underemployment, unemployment, and a job search during a global pandemic. Fatima Martin of PA Careerlink, a one-stop career center, helps unpack the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Katie Spiker of the National Skills Coalition illustrates who has been hit hardest economically by the pandemic and shares a path towards an inclusive economic recovery. Nicole Tranchitella of Accenture discusses the important role of employers in the region's recovery. Produced by JEVS Human Services PWPvideo

Where Policy Meets People a podcast from JEVS Human Services. This podcast looks at stories and issues within the world of human services and employment, humanizing those who serve and are served by the sector. For policy wonks with a heart, we get to the heart of policy.