On October 27, JEVS President and CEO Cynthia F. Figueroa was proud to participate in Axios Live’s “Zoom In: Building Opportunity in Greater Philadelphia,” an important conversation about workforce readiness, skills-based hiring, and pathways to economic opportunity. The event took place in Center City Philadelphia and was livestreamed for viewers around the world.
Also interviewed live by Axios reporters were Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and Chellie Cameron, President and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber.
During the interview, Cynthia noted that Philadelphia is full of opportunities. “We are not a city short on ideas. All sectors are coalescing to elevate and link opportunities between employers and job seekers. We need continued investment in youth workforce, adult literacy, and programs that are effective.”
This effort is seen in JEVS’ youth workforce development efforts for Career Connected Philadelphia (C2L-PHL). Through C2L-PHL, JEVS paid $10.5 million to close to 9,000 young people during Summer 2026 programming. But over 17,000 youth applied.
Cynthia told attendees and viewers that to address barriers to job readiness, “we need to keep working together to have strong education, access to workforce opportunities, access to trade and vocational tech, and, subsequently, the opportunity to grow within a sector.”
Thank you to Axios for convening this conversation and to JPMorganChase for sponsoring the event. Click here to view the livestream of the conversation. Cynthia’s interview begins at the 40-minute mark.
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