Governor Cuomo Announces $30 Million to Expand Urban Youth Jobs Program and Launches Statewide Pre-Apprenticeship Job Program For Construction Trades
Governor Highlights Impact of Summer Youth Employment Program and Unemployment Strikeforce Initiative
Announcements Build on Momentum of Governor’s Successful Initiatives
to Address Unemployment in The Bronx and Across the State
Bronx Unemployment Rate Down to 6.1% in May, Lowest Figure in 15 Years
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently nnounced an additional $30 million in
funding for the successful Urban Youth Jobs Program, an innovative tax
credit program which connects minority and at-risk youth with employment
opportunities in communities across the state. The record investment brings
total funding for the program to $50 million this year and builds on the
Governor’s sweeping, multi-faceted efforts to remove barriers to
unemployment in The Bronx and across New York. To accompany this initiative,
the Governor announced the launch of a new
website designed to connect young people with job opportunities and provide them
with the skills they need to succeed as they pursue their future education
and career goals.
Governor Cuomo also announced the official launch of the nation’s
first state-sponsored Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which he outlined in
the 2016 State of the State Address. The state has issed a
Request for Proposals to training providers, who will prepare participants for a career in the
building and construction trades. The program will match qualified trainees
with permanent employment opportunities on major state infrastructure
projects, including the new LaGuardia Airport and the complete overhaul
of Penn Station.
"In every corner of this state, we are taking aggressive action to
restore economic opportunity and social progress by creating jobs, and
The Bronx is at the forefront of this effort,"
Governor Cuomo said. "From the Unemployment Strikeforce to the Urban Youth Jobs program,
we are making smart investments to tackle unemployment in communities
where it is most pervasive, and connect tomorrow's workers with the
skills they need to succeed in a 21st century workplace. Our efforts are demonstrating that government can be
a vehicle for progress, and I thank Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. for their partnership in building
a better future for the Bronx community."
The Governor’s sweeping efforts to remove barriers to employment
in The Bronx have coincided with the borough’s 6.1 percent unemployment
rate – its lowest for the month of May since 2001, and the lowest
level in 15 years. The Governor has focused a variety of efforts to put
chronically unemployed and disadvantaged youth to work through a series
of innovative programs that connect young people with job and training
opportunities.
The announcement was made at Hostos Community College in The Bronx, where
the Governor also highlighted the success of two existing programs: the
first-of-its-kind Unemployment Strikeforce and the Summer Youth Employment
Program. The Unemployment Strikeforce works to connect out of work New
Yorkers with skills in demand by employers in cities across the state
with the highest rates of unemployment. In just two years, the Strikeforce
initiative has resulted in jobs for more than 23,000 previously unemployed
individuals. The Summer Youth Employment Program in The Bronx, which allocates
money to municipalities to work with non-profits to hire kids for summer
jobs, has helped more than 12,000 youths in The Bronx obtain employment
and this year received more than $31 million in state funding.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “The Assembly Majority has always worked hard to expand access to
economic opportunities for those who have struggled to enter and remain
in the workforce. We have made great strides in building bridges to higher
education and through our longstanding support of programs like Summer
Youth and the New York Youth Works Tax Credit, thousands of disadvantaged
individuals have gained the foothold they need to climb the ladder of
success. Apprenticeship programs are a proven tool for building strong
ties to skills and trades that will ensure lifelong participation in the
labor market. I thank Governor Cuomo for his efforts to strengthen economic
development in communities across the state and for empowering those New
Yorkers who need it the most. With these new initiatives and our continued
support for labor and workforce investments, we will make real progress
in closing the gaps of underemployment and joblessness in all our communities.”
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said, “One of my first goals when I was elected Bronx Borough President
was to reduce unemployment. Since becoming Borough President, unemployment
has been cut by more than half, and our workforce participation rate is
higher than ever before. We are helping thousands of teenagers and young
adults find productive jobs that not only bolster their resumes as well
as help expand and add skill-sets they will need down the road as they
advance in their careers, while also keeping them off of the streets and
out of trouble. I want to thank Gov. Cuomo and Strikeforce for helping
us get there. We are always looking to continue to build on the positive
results and the Strikeforce has proven to be a program that has helped
us decrease unemployment in our borough to record lows, and these new
programs for at-risk youth announced today by Gov. Cuomo will only help
us continue that success."
From the Unemployment Strikeforce to the Urban Youth Jobs program, we are making smart investments to tackle unemployment in communities where it is most pervasive, and connect tomorrow's workers with the skills they need to succeed.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMS
Urban Youth Jobs Program
The new funding announced by the Governor expands the Urban Youth Jobs
Program by allocating an additional $30 million for the initiative, bringing
the program’s total funding for this year to $50 million. The program
encourages businesses to hire unemployed, at-risk youth ages 16-24, who
live in New York State, by providing a tax credit of up to $5,000 per employee.
Since 2012, when first launched as a pilot program to provide youth from
low-income families with job opportunities, the successful Urban Youth
Jobs Program has helped 33,000 teens in 13 target areas that face high
unemployment rates obtain jobs. Since the program’s inception, 8,000
young people in The Bronx have been hired.
To incentivize employers to take part in the expanded program, New York
State will conduct outreach across the state, in addition to the previously launched
ny.gov/youthjobs to help businesses understand how the program works and take advantage
of the opportunity. Employers can use the $5,000 tax credit for such activities
as subsidizing wages, supporting education and training activities, as
well as offering counseling and employment-related services, such as transportation
to and from work.
State Pre-Apprenticeship Program
The Governor announced the official launch of the State Pre-Apprenticeship
Program, first outlined in the 2016 State of the State Address. Disadvantaged
youth have been underrepresented in apprenticeship programs and too often
lack the skills or opportunities to benefit from the jobs available from
state-funded projects. This program – the first of its kind in the
nation – will reimburse employers who train the next generation
of workers in the building and construction trades and help them obtain
meaningful employment.
The program will leverage major state-funded infrastructure projects,
including the complete redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport and the new
Penn Station, by placing graduates of the pre-apprenticeship program into
state-registered apprenticeship programs affiliated with these projects.
A $750,000 Request for Proposals has been released to non-profit training
providers who will prepare disadvantaged youth for apprenticeship programs
in trades such as building and construction. The program will recruit
approximately 100 disadvantaged young adults between the ages of 18 and
24 who are out of school, unemployed, and interested in pursuing a career
in building or construction.
The program will offer reimbursement of up to $7,500 per successful trainee
to qualified training providers. In order to be considered successful,
trainees must graduate from the State Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program
and then be placed into a Registered Apprenticeship Program. The Registered
Apprenticeship Program must be affiliated with a contractor completing
work on a New York State-funded project and the trainee must complete
a portion of their on-the-job training hours on that project. Graduates
of the State Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program will be prepared for
permanent employment working on the transformational infrastructure projects
happening across the state.
Unemployment Strikeforce Initiative
Launched in The Bronx in 2014, the Governor’s successful Unemployment
Strikeforce initiative was designed to target areas across the state suffering
from high unemployment, with a focus on removing barriers to employment
by connecting businesses to job seekers. In The Bronx, the program connects
individuals to jobs and training in six high-demand sectors: Healthcare,
Information Technology, Office and Administration, Transportation and
Warehousing, Sales, and Hospitality.
Of the 10,165 Bronx residents who have been served by the Strikeforce
since its inception two years ago, 7,604 have been hired, 2,799 of whom
were long-term unemployed. In May 2013, the year before the program was
launched, the unemployment rate in The Bronx was 11.4 percent –
the highest of any county in the state. In May 2016, the unemployment
rate in The Bronx was at 6.1 percent, the lowest rate for the month of
May since 2001.
Because of its success in The Bronx, the Strikeforce was expanded to include
the 10 counties in the state with the highest rates of unemployment. Since
its creation in 2014, 23,835 unemployed individuals across the state have
been hired through the program.
Summer Youth Employment Program
Governor Cuomo has awarded more than $31 million statewide for the 2016
Summer Youth Employment Program to provide summer jobs for youth ages
14 to 20 who reside in lower-income households. For six to eight weeks
of the summer, the teens and young adults work in entry-level jobs at
places such as parks, nursing homes, summer camps, child care organizations,
senior centers, and community recreation centers, among others.
Approximately $16 million in funding will enable nearly 11,000 young people
in New York City to be employed this summer through the program, including
an estimated 2,500 youth in The Bronx, who will gain valuable work experience
and improved chances of future employment. The Summer Youth Employment
Program in The Bronx, which allocates money to municipalities to work
with non-profits to hire kids for summer jobs, has helped more than 12,000
youths in The Bronx obtain employment since 2011.
Senator José Serrano said, "The Urban Youth Jobs Program is a common sense solution that benefits
all stakeholders, with both community members and businesses owners reaping
the rewards. By providing incentives to business to hire disadvantaged
Bronx youth, this program equips future workers with the skills and experience
they need to succeed. Thanks to Governor Cuomo, the next generation of
workers are growing stronger, and the economic future of The Bronx is
brighter than ever beforeý."
Assemblyman Marcos Crespo said, "As Bronx County continues to experience a tremendous renaissance,
it is clear that the vision, leadership, partnership and investments led
by Governor Cuomo have been instrumental in achieving the positive results
we've seen. Hundreds of millions in residential and commercial development,
investing in the growth of the Hunts Point Markets, expanded Metro North
and other transportation options, and a historic drop in unemployment
rates throughout the borough are just some of the initiatives Governor
Cuomo has led in order to improve the lives of all Bronx residents."
Assemblyman Victor Pichardo said, "Today’s announcement by Governor Cuomo is a welcome relief
and will have an immediate impact for many of my neighbors in The Bronx
as they strive to achieve the American Dream. I am proud of the accomplishments
we have achieved including increasing the minimum wage to a living wage,
and the implementation of the ‘My Brother’s Keeper’
program, both of which will uplift working-class families. We’ll
carry on the fight to ensure all who wish to succeed here in New York
have that ability, including continuing our efforts to make college education
within reach through making the DREAM Act a reality.”
Assemblyman Michael Benedetto said, “I want to thank Governor Cuomo for his support of youth employment, for bringing high tech businesses to our college campuses, and for leading the effort to raise the minimum wage to $15. He is a true national leader.”
Marlene Cintron, President of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, said, "There is no issue more important than ensuring that our youth have the resources they need to lead fulfilling and productive lives. Our hope for tomorrow rests in the hands of the next generation, and here in The Bronx, Governor Cuomo has made clear that he is committed to our promising men and women. For years, rising unemployment has been at the core of this community's stagnation, but through key initiatives like the Urban Youth Jobs Program, the Governor has made certain that the story does not stop here for The Bronx. We are proud of this initiative in all that it aims to achieve and the tangible results it is delivering for our young people."