Philadelphia Streets Department relaunches program to help at-risk young adults stay on track

City leaders are looking to get more young people involved in public service.

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Streets Department announced the relaunch of the Future Track Program with 200 new participants - the largest cohort of trainees in the history of the program.

The Future Track program looks to help at-risk young adults who are not enrolled in higher education or who are unemployed by having them participate in a six to twelve-month paid program that is all about public service work and community pride.

For the first part of the program, participants are asked to work in teams to clean and remove trash from neighborhood alleys - a part of the City's Street Light Improvement Program. According to the Streets Department, many Philadelphians require help cleaning out alleyways to gain access to the rear of their homes.

Participants will also work in teams to help beautify neighborhoods under the guidance of the Streets Department.

Additionally, participants will receive "job readiness training" which includes - basic literacy, financial literacy, leadership and basic communication skills.

The goal of the program is for participants to walk away with real-world work experience and be able to transition into full-time employment, attend a higher education institution and enter into a vocational training program/school.

“Philadelphia, like many big cities, faces the challenges of unemployment and city cleanliness, which both have significant impact on the city,” Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams said in a news release. “Philly Future Track is a smart approach to address these challenges by investing in the development and job readiness of Philadelphia’s young adult population. Participants will gain valuable skills to prepare them for future employment while they engage in public service beautifying Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.” 

Those who successfully complete the first part of the program could have the opportunity to apply to be assigned to a specific occupational track such as - roadway maintenance, traffic investigations, construction inspection support or sanitation code compliance.

If those participants successfully learn a specific job it could lead to full-time, City civil service employment.

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“Philly Future Track is designed to create stronger citizens who live, work and serve in their communities,” Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams said in a statement. “By instilling self-sustainability and civic pride in Philadelphia’s young adults, they will be better prepared to take the next steps towards developing long-term careers, and in turn, improve the city.” 

For more information about this program visit www.phila.gov/streets.