Great news for the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), University City District’s program that helps unemployed West Philly residents obtain necessary job skills and connect with local employers. The organization has recently been awarded a $4 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to help accelerate WPSI’s goals of providing opportunities for job seekers, program alumni, and incumbent workers to secure meaningful employment that will help break the cycle of poverty. In the past few years, WPSI, which was founded in 2009, has expanded from West Philadelphia to other city neighborhoods.

“We are deeply honored to receive this transformative gift and affirmation of our work,” says UCD President Matt Bergheiser. “Every neighborhood in Philadelphia exudes talent, and this investment will accelerate the work of the Skills Initiative to connect unstoppable local talent to life-changing opportunity.”

Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, funds organizations working to advance the opportunities of people in underserved communities through her organization Yield Giving.

More information about the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative and available job training opportunities can be found here.