Philadelphia, PA — April 16, 2026 — At the United States Conference of Mayors, the Career Connected Learning (C2L-PHL) team of JEVS Human Services (JEVS) was proud to facilitate a C2L-PHL panel for the Workforce Development Council. This council serves as an advisory board to recommend policy to the nation’s mayors as they consider the workforce systems in their cities.
Each of the panelists represented a vital piece of the C2L-PHL puzzle, and together they illustrated what it looks like to come together to provide opportunities for young Philadelphians. Questions focused on why it matters to support our youth, how we can connect them to the resources they need, and the ways multiple organizations across Philadelphia collaborate to make C2L-PHL a success.
One of the panelists, Jordan Reeder, is a previous C2L-PHL participant. Jordan worked with the Temple Lenfest program for the last three years. When asked what he gained by participating in C2L-PHL programming, Jordan focused on networking. He said, “I’m such a big believer in networking, I already knew photography was my passion when I got to [Temple] Lenfest, but it was through doing the program that I started to meet people who shared their wisdom and who could get me connected to their network to help me get where I am today.” Where Jordan is today is impressive. As a celebrity photographer, Jordan has worked with The Lox, Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Grammy Award-Winning Artist Leon Thomas, and even more noteworthy figures.
C2L-PHL exists to give young Philadelphians the space to learn, grow, and build a path to a successful future. Jordan’s experience is a great example of what can happen when a young person gets connected to the resources they need to thrive.
When asked why it matters to invest in programs like C2L-PHL, Cydney Irving-Dasent, a C2L-PHL partner with the City of Philadelphia Office of Children and Families said, “Because young Philadelphians are Philadelphians too.” Young people like Jordan, and the thousands of C2L-PHL participants this summer, deserve opportunities to succeed just as much as any other Philadelphians.
The C2L-PHL panel, moderated by JEVS Human Services President and CEO Cynthia Figueroa, featured expert guests across Philadelphia’s youth workforce development system. The panelists included:
- Cydney Irving-Dasent, Chief of Children and Family Support Services in the Office of Children and Families of the City of Philadelphia,
- Tiffany Tavarez, Vice President of Community Impact and Strategic Partnerships at Jefferson,
- Debbie O’Brien, Market Executive with Bank of America,
- Kiah Collins, Lead Senior Student Intern at Temple University’s Lenfest Center for Community Workforce Partnerships, and
- Jordan Reeder a C2L-PHL participant with Temple University’s Lenfest Center for Community Workforce Partnerships.
C2L-PHL is one of Philadelphia’s largest youth workforce development systems. In its third summer of programming, C2L-PHL will employ nearly 8,000 young Philadelphians! This made C2L-PHL an ideal program to showcase to visiting members of the Workforce Development Council who may be interested in learning about ways they can support their future youth workforce.
Local businesses looking to get involved in C2L-PHL are encouraged to complete the Business Inquiry form or visit our website to learn more about C2L-PHL.
Posted in Blog C2L-PHL Youth & Young Adult Services