The pandemic has caused sharper drops in employment in New York City than elsewhere in the nation, with approximately 440,000 jobs yet to be recovered. Many of the lost jobs were in the food, hospitality, and retail sectors, leaving those workers looking for alternatives to the jobs they used to rely on. Many have turned to one of the city’s 180 employment nonprofits that offer free training and job placement, but these agencies do not have the resources to handle New York’s worst jobs crisis in over 80 years and they must shift gears to meet the rapidly changing needs of the city’s labor market. The Trust is making grants to help nonprofits expand and adapt so they can train New Yorkers for in-demand, higher-paying jobs.
BUILDING A WORKFORCE TRAINING HUB
In 2020, The Trust supported a review of workforce education at City University of New York (CUNY) two-year colleges. One of the major recommendations from the review was the creation of a central employer hub for connecting students to in-demand workforce programs.
Now we’re giving a total of $1,653,000 to help the City University of New York, Eugenio María de Hostos Community College Foundation, and Fiorello H. LaGuardia Community College Foundation launch the NYC Accelerated Workforce Recovery Hub, which will demonstrate that CUNY’s continuing education programs can lead the way in workforce training as the city recovers from the pandemic. The Workforce Recovery Hub will benefit 3,000 students who will receive a combination of scholarships, internship stipends, and career services to prepare for in-demand jobs in healthcare, the building trades, accounting, and technology.
The Trust also gave $250,000 to the New York City Workforce Development Fund, a funder collaborative in The Trust dedicated to improving the city’s workforce development system through grants to nonprofits that undertake advocacy, policy research, employer engagement, and pilot projects.
for jobs in data analysis, cyber security, and web design.
PROVIDING IN-DEMAND JOBS IN TECHNOLOGY
The technology sector in New York is booming, yet it lacks skilled workers, making it a good field to lift young people into higher-paying careers. A Trust grant of $165,000 to Knowledge House will prepare low-income New Yorkers for new technology careers in areas such as data analysis, cybersecurity, and web design by offering accredited online courses. It also plans to reopen its Bronx office for in-person classes for vaccinated trainees. Seventy-five percent of its alumni have secured meaningful employment in the tech sector with starting salaries of more than $50,000.
PREPARING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR CAREERS IN WESTCHESTER AND ON LONG ISLAND
Employment prospects for young people worsened during the pandemic. The New York Community Trust – Westchester gave a $80,000 grant to The Guidance Center of Westchester to provide young people from New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, and Mount Vernon with classroom instruction and hands-on training to prepare them to earn industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields, such as construction and energy auditing. The Center will coach young people on good workplace behaviors, connect them with jobs, and refer them to additional services.
High schools in low-income districts often don’t have the resources to meet the needs of students with learning or behavioral disabilities. This issue has been exacerbated by the pandemic, with these students facing significant challenges adapting to school closures and online learning. A recent grant from The New York Community Trust – Long Island of $25,000 to Abilities, Inc. – The Viscardi Center will provide academic support, career exposure, college awareness, and life skills training to 60 students with disabilities from Freeport, Westbury, and Brentwood high schools. In addition, the Center will provide students with virtual work site visits at local companies to learn more about job opportunities.