Amending Title 18 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Commerce," by adding a new Chapter, entitled "Workforce Development Activity and Reporting," to promote workforce development activity, and to require the Department of Commerce to report to Council certain aggregate information regarding employment rates and training opportunities, and to report on assessments of the economic impact of the City's workforce development programs, all under certain terms and conditions.

Division. The Division of Jobs and Training Opportunities within the Department of Commerce.

Workforce Development Program. Any City-sponsored program, initiative or incentive

The Division shall be led by a Deputy Director who reports to the Director of Commerce. The Division shall promote workforce development in the City and shall have the following duties:

creating and maintaining an online directory of employment and job training opportunities; and

maintaining a telephone hotline to respond to inquiries from Philadelphians about employment and job training opportunities; and

maintaining a physical office open to the public for in-person inquiries about employment and job training opportunities.

The Division shall serve as a point of contact for private sector employers interested in hiring Philadelphians.

The Division shall collect data and supporting documentation, as is meaningful and available, to comply with the Workforce Development Reporting Requirements as set forth in §18-603.

The Division shall work in collaboration with, but remain independent from, Philadelphia Works, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and other entities outside of municipal government concerned with workforce development.

The Director of Commerce is authorized to utilize a third-party evaluator to prepare an annual report, and shall provide Council with such reports pursuant to the schedule set forth in paragraph (2) below, that shall include the following:

a listing and description of all workforce development programs; and

an assessment, including such data and supporting documentation as is meaningful and available, regarding the economic effectiveness and other consequences of such workforce development programs; and

an analysis of similar workforce development programs provided in comparable cities, including an assessment of the success of such programs in such cities in comparison with comparable City programs; and

an analysis of city-wide employment statistics, including:

the percent of employed Philadelphians by race, sex, age and zip code; and

the number of Philadelphians served by the Division online, over the phone and in-person; and

a summary of the types of inquiries received by the Division online, over the phone and in-person; and

recommendations as to which City workforce development programs should be maintained, changed or eliminated in order to best promote the objectives of the City with respect to the use of such programs.

The first report shall be a fully comprehensive report covering all workforce development programs in effect as of January 1, 2023, and shall be provided to Council no later than June 30, 2023. Thereafter, an annual report shall be provided to Council no later than June 30 each year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Council, at any time, may request that the Director of Commerce provide Council with a report regarding any and/or all workforce development programs.