Philadelphia OIC Sets Sights On Accreditation
by Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The non-profit Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) on North Broad Street is about to take its workforce development program to another level, under its new CEO.
Founded more than 50-years ago on the principles of "helping people to help themselves," OIC's Dr. Kevin Johnson says they are re-imagining how to help people get the skills they need to get good jobs.
"We will be announcing very soon a new college that we are going to acquire. We'll be offering associate degrees for information technology, and soon, we'll be offering degrees also in culinary arts and other hospitality industry degrees," He said.
At the Kimmel Center, during an OIC ceremony, the Pennsylvania Convention Center awarded OIC a $100,000 check to go toward acquiring an accreditation program from an existing college.
Johnson is of the mindset "the non-profit world is a tough business," and now it's time for OIC to delve into mergers and acquisitions.:
"I'm glad we'll be acquiring this college, to help further the mission of OIC," said Johnson.
The clergyman and civil rights leader The Reverend Leon Sullivan, who advocated for civil and economic rights for all, founded OIC in 1964.