The Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center--or OIC--is dedicated to opening opportunities for all members of the community, helping people everywhere get the skills they need to get good jobs and advance in their careers. Our mission is to assist the unemployed, the underemployed, the homeless, and disadvantaged youth and adults to achieve self-sufficiency and empowerment, primarily t
hrough education, training, job placement, and through supportive human services, housing and economic development.Philadelphia OIC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 by the late Reverend Dr. Leon H. Sullivan, who was an internationally-recognized advocate for civil and economic rights for all. and Reverend Jesse Jackson--believed that jobs were the key to the economic development and true empowerment. The creation of OIC was his response to the lack of employment opportunities and job-training programs in the community. And 50 years later, our mission is as vitally important as ever. The Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, in it’s recently issued “Help Wanted: Knowledge Workers Needed” publication, reported that a staggering 52% of working age adults are at or below basic literacy levels. The 2011 American Community Survey estimate that 37% of Philadelphians did not graduate from high school and 26.7% live at or below the Federal Poverty line. Since its inception, Philadelphia OIC has been at the forefront of addressing these kinds of issues. Most recently, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Philadelphia’s Chief Innovation Officer Adel Ebeid acknowledged OIC as a managing partner of the Freedom Rings Partnership and KEYSPOT designee. KEYSPOT is a citywide initiative of the Freedom Rings Partnership that brings free Internet access and computer training to all Philadelphians in a continuing effort to bridge the digital divide that exists in so many neighborhoods. OIC is one of only two designees that offer mobile KEYSPOT services through our unique Neighborhood Opportunities through Mobile Accessible Destinations (NOMAD) (link to Computer skills page) program, which provides mobile computer training to Philadelphians who are technologically disadvantaged, underemployed or unemployed. It’s one more example of how we continue to evolve, always looking for new opportunities to serve and advance the interests of all members of the community.
