Northeast Philadelphia opens first comprehensive workforce development center

Gov. Tom Wolf and local representatives celebrated last week the grand opening of the Toben Center, Northeast Philadelphia’s first comprehensive workforce development center.

Wolf’s proposed 2020-21 budget proposal includes $12 million for competitive grants to address employment barriers and a $2 million increase for WEDnetPA, which helps businesses with training to teach new skills to existing employees. Other employment hurdles that budget strives to answer include transportation, child care services, re-entry licensure, and training. Many of these are addressed by services offered at the Toben Center.

“The Toben Center offers a one-stop-shop for that we have never had before in my neighborhood, and with the Governor’s support, I believe this can be a model for other parts of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania,” said State Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia County), who was in attendance of the March 5 ribbon-cutting ceremony along with State Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-2nd District).

Tartaglione shared her excitement for the Toben Center, stating that it will offer opportunities to the residents of the Greater Northeast that will help them enhance education and skills, improve their overall marketability, and connect to potential employers.

The Toben Center will build upon programs already established by the Wolf Administration along with tenants Harcum College, which offers course work for human services and business management degrees, and Northeast Learning Center, which provides high school equivalency preparation and exams. The center also houses a PhillyWorks and PA CareerLink career and training facility.

“Thanks to my state representative, Jared Solomon, a vision that has been in the planning for several years has come to fruition,” Bonnie Kaye, director of the Northeast Learning Center, said. “Our mission at Northeast Learning Center has always been success for people whose lives were at a standstill because they lacked a high school diploma. Now we have an opportunity to open new doors for our students to achieve further success by offering their next step of college or employment.”