The transformation of Philadelphia over the past two decades into a spirited cosmopolitan hub with 360,000 college students, a booming tourism trade, unprecedented downtown residential growth, and a rich cultural life goes hand in hand with deep-seated problems that threaten the economic vitality of the entire region. A majority of working-age adults lack the basic skills and credentials to compete in the regional labor market. Only one in seven Philadelphians has a four-year college degree, while more than 60 percent of the city’s adults are low-literate.
