The National Urban League Combats Unemployment in Philadelphia With Its “Jobs Rebuild America” Campaign

– A 50-City, $100 Million Public-Private-Nonprofit Partnership Effort to Put America Back to Work –

– $1 Million Multi-Year Community Investment Commitment to The Philadelphia Urban League –

New York, NY – Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League – the nation’s largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization – recognized Philadelphia as a designated Jobs Rebuild America market, with a five year, $1 million community investment commitment from 2011-2016 to The Philadelphia Urban League, led by Rosalyn McPherson.  This comprehensive commitment is part of the National Urban League’s historic “Jobs Rebuild America: Educate, Employ, Empower” initiative.  Jobs Rebuild America, a solutions-based, comprehensive approach to the nation’s employment and education crisis, brings together federal government, business, and nonprofit resources to create economic opportunity in 50 communities nationwide through the Urban League affiliate network.  The National Urban League first unveiled the two-prong campaign in May 2013 in Cleveland, OH in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, currently led by Secretary Tom Perez.

The community investment component of Jobs Rebuild America is a $100 million, five-year multi-platform effort designed to reach job-seekers, vulnerable youth and entrepreneurs.  The initiative uses a comprehensive community development model that includes program offerings such as job-training for youth (18-24) and mature workers (55+), college preparation, a jobs network, entrepreneurship support, small business financing and resources, and tax credits, among others.

This component also includes efforts specifically aimed at promoting and growing small businesses and entrepreneurship.  The Urban League Entrepreneurship Centers in 10 affiliate markets, including Philadelphia, empower entrepreneurs of color to take advantage of new business and financing opportunities, enabling high-level business growth via the provision of proper management skills.  The Entrepreneurship Centers provide more than 40,000 combined hours of business counseling and training services to approximately 12,000 clients yearly.

“As our nation continues to struggle with post-recession un- and under-employment, creating jobs and economically viable communities must be a collaborative, tripod effort between the government, corporate and nonprofit sectors,” said Morial.  “Our Jobs Rebuild America initiative is a leading example that public-private-nonprofit partnerships can drive job creation and the program innovation required to revitalize struggling communities.  It’s time to shift from the debate about the problems of unemployed, underemployed, unsafe and under-resourced communities to comprehensively doing what is required to solve them, and our affiliates across the country, including The Philadelphia Urban League, are primed to do just that.”