Reflecting the evolving spirit of Philadelphia
Hopeworks is a nonprofit workforce accelerator that connects young adults ages 17–26 to living-wage careers while helping employers meet growing talent demands. Through paid, self-paced training, real-world work experience, and trauma-informed support, participants move from unemployment to careers with long-term growth and stability.
Training focuses on both technical and professional skills, including front-end web development, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), data visualization, and revenue cycle management, alongside communication, teamwork, and workplace readiness—preparing participants for long-term success.
What sets Hopeworks apart is its social enterprise model, where participants gain hands-on experience through real client work in web development, GIS, and revenue cycle management while delivering high-quality solutions to businesses.
Participants earn income through paid internships while building the skills needed to succeed in competitive workplaces. In the past year, Hopeworks paid over $1.88M in wages directly to participants.
Beyond technical training, Hopeworks prioritizes social and emotional development. Through coaching, academic support, and a strong community, participants build the resilience and confidence needed not just to secure jobs, but to keep them and grow.
More than 99% of participants are unemployed, and after completing the program, they earn an average starting salary of $46,000+, with over 90% remaining employed after one year.
This year, Hopeworks is on track to place more than 200 individuals in jobs, generating $9.9M in wages. Next year, that number will grow, continuing to expand opportunities and strengthen the region’s workforce.
