A Year In, Comcast’s $1 Million North Broad Tech Hub Trains Philadelphians for Tech Jobs

PHILADELPHIA — A year after Comcast opened its flagship Lift Zone at 1231 North Broad Street, the hub’s free tech training and upgraded facilities remain open to North Philadelphia residents building digital skills.

The hub, run with the Opportunities Industrialization Center, pairs free community WiFi and new computers with tuition-free tech career training through Per Scholas, a national nonprofit.

The training targets family-sustaining careers in fields including hospitality, tourism, green jobs, audio engineering and healthcare, alongside digital and technical skills programs.

“Lift Zones are about creating pathways to opportunity and providing support for people within their communities,” said Bret Perkins, Comcast’s senior vice president of external and government affairs, at the opening.

The North Broad site is one of more than 50 Lift Zone locations in Philadelphia and 1,250 nationwide. The program launched in 2020 and sits inside Comcast’s Project UP, a $1 billion national digital equity commitment.

For job seekers, the appeal is practical. The training is free, the equipment is new, and the location sits on a major transit corridor in a neighborhood where the digital divide has long been widest.

Mayor Cherelle Parker has praised the hub’s potential to build a stronger workforce and expand economic opportunity for residents.

As AI reshapes the job market, programs that teach residents to work with technology rather than compete against it are drawing new attention from employers and policymakers alike.