Supported by a United Way grant, the program is designed to complement the College’s degree-completion programs.

PHILADELPHIA, July 16, 2018 — Peirce College, Center City’s 153-year-old college for working adults, knows that it’s more than a lack of on-the-job skills that keep people unemployed or underemployed. Sometimes, other responsibilities get in the way, too. That’s why the College believes it’s time to rethink higher education.

With the support of a $60,000 grant from the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Peirce has launched a free, holistic 10-week training session for 17 low-to moderate-income adults with at least one child. Participants are learning skills needed for customer service positions in the non-clinical healthcare industry. Peirce faculty and career development office administrators are leading course instruction in areas focused on skills such as customer service and emotional intelligence. Additionally, Peirce has collaborated with local non-profit partners to assist students in balancing their busy lives with financial literacy training, parenting support services and mental and emotional wellness support. This two-generation approach benefits both the students and their children.

”At the end of the session, these students will have the skills needed to succeed in customer-facing positions in a hospital or an insurance company customer service setting and will be better equipped to balance their career and family obligations,” said Associate Vice President of Workforce Solutions & Community Impact Malik Brown. “We’ll also be providing job placement assistance so they can leverage their newly learned skills within Peirce’s vast network of employer partnerships. It is our hope that the participants of this program are inspired to complete their degrees.”

This training program carries forward Peirce’s ongoing mission to rethink education as a means to encourage economic and social mobility in the Philadelphia region.

“We believe that by working with our partners throughout the region to offer opportunities that help people help themselves, Peirce can be part of a multi-faceted solution to many of our region’s greatest challenges,” said Brown.

About Peirce College

Founded in 1865, Peirce College has been providing working adults with affordable education, flexible classes, and personalized support for more than 150 years. Peirce offers bachelor and associate degree programs in the areas of Business, Healthcare, Information Technology, and Legal Studies, and Master of Science degrees in Healthcare Administration and Organizational Leadership & Management. Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Peirce is a non-profit institution that specializes in serving the unique needs of working adults through both online and on campus education. In 2015, Peirce took life-friendly learning and degree attainment to the next level with the creation of Peirce Fit®, a revolutionary learning format that allows students to choose each week whether to attend class in person or online. Through competency-based education in Peirce’s IT program, students may also choose a faster, more affordable path to a degree. Peirce College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market St. Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). Additionally, select programs are accredited by The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, the American Bar Association and the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education.

For more information about Peirce College, call 888.467.3472, or visit www.peirce.edu. Visit Peirce’s blog, Peirce Connections, at blog.peirce.edu. Become a fan of Peirce College on Facebook. Follow @PeirceCollege on Twitter. View the Peirce College YouTube Channel .

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