By Steve Tawa

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Philadelphia officials today announced formation of a new city-run program that promises to plant the seeds of job training and real-world experience for at-risk young adults in Philadelphia.

The program, “Philly Future Track,” provides paid positions for 130 young people who are out of work and not going to college.

The city’s Streets Department designed the rigorous six-month training program, combining practical work experience, life skills development, and community engagement.

Mayor Nutter called it an investment in building stronger citizens.

“And the next time I roll up on a corner somewhere, I’m going to jump out of my car and ask the six people standing on the corner, ‘Who wants to work today?’  And whoever says yes, they’re going to be in this program,” the mayor said today.

Much of the work tasks include beautification projects, cleaning alleyways, and maintaining litter-free zones.

Areas of training include basic literacy, financial literacy, and communication skills.  Officials say Future Track is designed to be a career-readiness pipeline giving young adults resources and skills to transition to fulltime work, higher education, vocational training, or military service.

More information is available in a document on the City of Philadelphia’s web site (.pdf format).