Nine New York City Businesses, Community Colleges, and Community-Based Organizations Receive Funding for Workforce Development
Awards Will Fund In-Demand Skills Training for 825 New Yorkers
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that nine New York City-based businesses, community colleges and community-based organizations have been awarded $2.3 million as part of the state’s historic $175 million Workforce Development Initiative. The grant funds through The City University of New York and the New York State Department of Labor will provide professional training to 825 New Yorkers, teaching them skills that are in demand from employers. Since launching in May 2019, nearly $9 million has been awarded through the Workforce Development Initiative, which will provide training to approximately 4,600 New Yorkers.
«These awards will help ensure that New Yorkers are prepared not just for the jobs of today, but are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow,» said Governor Cuomo. «New York’s workforce must adapt to the rapid changes of the modern global economy and our Workforce Development Initiative will help New Yorkers gain the competitive edge they need to succeed.»
«The number one issue I hear from employers across the state is that they can’t find workers with the skills they need for 21st century jobs,» said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. «That is why we are investing $2.3 million in nine New York City-based job training programs that will benefit hundreds of New Yorkers as part of our historic $175 million Workforce Development Initiative. Whether it’s home care, the culinary arts or marine engineering, we are investing and working to close the skills gap and prepare New Yorkers for jobs today and in the future.»
The nine New York City Workforce Development Initiative awards announced today, include:
Kingsborough Community College: The Maritime Technology Apprenticeship Program (MTAP) at KCC, the first NYSDOL approved apprenticeship program for marine mechanics in the nation, will receive an award of $857,643 from the City University of New York (CUNY) Apprenticeship Program. Lt. Governor Hochul highlighted this award at a tour of Kingsborough Community College’s maritime programs earlier today.
Bronx Community College: The IT Work-Ready and Accelerated IT Credentials Programs at BCC will be awarded a $200,000 grant. The programs will provide training for unemployed and underemployed individuals for IT jobs in industries identified as priority sectors by the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC).
Center for Employment Opportunities: CEO will be awarded $200,000 to train formerly incarcerated individuals for entry level jobs in New York City, Rochester, Buffalo, and Albany. Training will be focused in the construction and custodial maintenance sectors.
Leap Inc: Leap’s Brooklyn Workforce Innovations Commercial Driver Training workforce development initiative eliminates barriers to employment for low-income, unemployed New Yorkers. The program will receive a $200,000 award.
The Osborne Association, Inc: The initiative to receive a $200,000 award provides culinary arts training for the formerly incarcerated, affording employment opportunities in an industry seeing rapid job growth.
St. Nicks Alliance: The community-based organization serving North Brooklyn residents will receive a $200,000 award for its Skilled Build initiative, an intensive, employer-driven credentialed skills training program that leads to entry-level construction jobs on large-scale, local development projects, including the Domino Sugar Factory development by Two Trees and the Bedford Union Armory by BFC Partners.
Morrisania Revitalization Corporation: Out-of-school youth and adults, and the formerly incarcerated will be trained for jobs in ambulatory health care services.
MRC is co-located with the MLK SUNY ATTAIN Resource Center. The project will be awarded $199,550.
Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow: The community-based organization will receive a $139,200 award to train 18- to 27-year-olds through its Bridge to Craft Careers program, located at Greenwood Cemetery in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. In its third year, the training is centered on stone masonry, restoration and stone construction.
Visiting Nurse Service of New York: Newly hired nurses will be trained to enhance staff proficiency in home care as well as emerging concepts in value-based care to better manage chronic conditions and episodic risk. The initiative will receive a $99,900 award.
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, «CUNY is delighted by the support of Gov. Cuomo’s Workforce Development Initiative, which will bolster our efforts to open new career paths to community college students. Kingsborough’s Maritime Technology Apprenticeship Program and Bronx Community College’s IT credentials programs are both tailored to equip graduates with the kind of specialized skills that are in demand by New York employers; these programs will also help drive the future of the city and state’s economic growth.»
Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, «Training is a critical resource for New Yorkers of all ages, from our youth preparing for the workforce, to those who are underemployed and trying to learn new skills, to others who are just looking for new opportunities. With a record number of private sector jobs in our State, we must have a trained workforce that is ready to meet those growing needs I applaud the Governor for supporting these programs which are vital in equipping New Yorkers with the training they need to achieve success.»
Governor Cuomo’s Workforce Development Initiative
Governor Cuomo announced a $175 million statewide investment for the Workforce Development Initiative in May 2019 to support strategic regional efforts that meet businesses’ short-term workforce needs, improve regional talent pipelines, enhance the flexibility and adaptability of local workforce entities, expand apprenticeships and address the long-term needs of growing industries. These funds will also support efforts to improve the economic security of women, youth and other groups facing significant barriers to career advancement. The State’s Regional Economic Development Councils play a critical role in recommending projects that align with their region’s economic and workforce development plans.
In September 2019, more than $3 million in Workforce Development Initiative awards were provided to Mohawk Valley Community College, North Country for Agri-Mark and International Paper, Broome for the Raymond Corporation, Corning for Elmira Savings Bank, and Mohawk Valley for C & H Plastics to dramatically expand high-growth industry apprenticeships. In January 2020, $3.4 million in Workforce Development Initiative awards were provided to 61 New York State businesses, community colleges and community-based organizations to train 2,464 New Yorkers with in-demand skills. More information about the Workforce Development Initiative and the awards announced to date can be found at workforcedevelopment.ny.gov.
About The City University of New York
The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving 500,000 students and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur «Genius» Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.
About NYSDOL
The mission of NYSDOL is to transform New York’s world of work. We empower and protect New York’s workforce by administering unemployment Insurance to those out of a job and looking for work, ensuring minimum wage and other labor laws are being followed, and educating all workers about their rights. We build and support businesses by helping them recruit workers, manage their workforce, develop apprenticeship programs and find tax credits and hiring incentives. We help workers find the career they love at our 96 career centers across the state, which provide free services such as job placement, resume and cover letter writing assistance, interview preparation and referrals for on-the-job training for those looking to find a job, change careers or advance in a current career.