Editor’s note: Matt Bergheiser is Knight Program Director for Philadelphia. He adds context below to a recent article on the new Job Opportunity Investment Network (JOIN).

Knight’s work in Philadelphia continues to focus on building connections to jobs and opportunities. One significant platform for change is the Job Opportunity Investment Network, a Knight-led funding collaborative which creates advancement opportunities for lower-skilled Philadelphians into career ladder jobs.

From the article:

“The idea is to create a fund that will invest in connecting lower-skilled workers to career ladder opportunities,” said Matt Bergheiser, Philadelphia program director of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which has formed a partnership with the state, the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board to establish Job Opportunity Investment Network (JOIN).

The founding partners of JOIN have raised $1.6 million and have close to another $2 million in the pipeline from other entities that are in the process of submitting requests for funding to their board of directors, Bergheiser said. In addition, JOIN applied last month for $450,000 over three years from NFWS– the maximum grant support it can receive — which will have to be matched 25 cents on the dollar. With or without the grant support, JOIN will roll out, he said.

“I think it’s critical; our target audience is people marginally attached to the work force,” Bergheiser said. “A lot of times they are the very first to go in an economy like this.”

Look for more information in coming months about JOIN. What questions do you have about this new network?