District Celebrates First Graduates of Pennsylvania Talent Pipeline Project
On Wednesday, the School District of Philadelphia joined the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the U.S. Navy and the City of Philadelphia at the Seaport Museum to celebrate graduates of the first-ever Pennsylvania Talent Pipeline Project during a signing ceremony.
“As a district, we are committed to making sure that our students graduate with the knowledge, skills and experience that will prepare them for post-secondary success,” said School District of Philadelphia Superintendent William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D. “This new Pennsylvania Talent Pipeline Project provides our students with the choice and ability to secure high-demand and good paying jobs as soon as they graduate. We are extremely grateful for this partnership and to the employers who are choosing to re-think the school-to-work-pipeline and invest in our students.”
At this event, 34 employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania that are part of the critical maritime supply chains announced their formal commitment to hire and retain over 200 individuals into mission-critical careers, approximately seventy of which are from Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
Eleven of those graduates are students from Benjamin Franklin, A. Philip Randolph Technical and Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational/Technical high schools. Students and their decisions include:
- Isaiah Aviles, Benjamin Franklin High School Welding Student, Holtec
- Marquael Osborne, A. Philip Randolph Technical High School Welding Student, Holtec
- Kyle Golphin, A. Philip Randolph Technical High School Welding Student, Philly Shipyard
- Justin Brown, Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational/Technical School Welding Student, Philly Shipyard
- Warren Crosby, Benjamin Franklin High School Machining Student, The Naval Foundry and Propeller Center
- Haowei Liu, Benjamin Franklin High School Machining Student, The Naval Foundry and Propeller Center
- Caleb Matthews, Benjamin Franklin High School Machining Student, The Naval Foundry and Propeller Center
- Darus Travis, Benjamin Franklin High School Machining Student, The Naval Foundry and Propeller Center
- Zykyee Thompson, Benjamin Franklin High School Welding Student, Rhoads Industries
- Aahzier Capers, A. Philip Randolph Technical High School Welding Student, Rhoads Industries
- Ahjhane Blackwell, A. Philip Randolph Technical High School Welding Student, Rhoads Industries
In May 2021, the OSD and the Navy launched this new statewide workforce development program to create a local talent pipeline that prepares local talent for employment at the Navy Yard through training, coaching, access to resources and advocacy. These pipelines will address critical trade skill gaps required across the maritime and defense ecosystems, including the Navy, Coast Guard, and Maritime Administration (MARAD).
During the event, Superintendent William R. Hite, Jr. Ed.D., Ron Sizer, Machining Teacher, Benjamin Franklin High School Machining Teacher Ron Sizer and Randolph High School’s Ahjhanae Blackwell delivered remarks.
The School District of Philadelphia is the largest public school district and was the first one involved in this initiative, which launched in Philadelphia. This partnership works with the District’s CTE programs, specifically focusing on students within carpentry, electrical and power transmission installation, precision machine tool technology, construction technology, facility maintenance and welding technology programs.
Participating CTE partners in this program include: Benjamin Franklin High School, Jules Mastbaum High School and A. Philip Randolph Technical High.
