Photo: St. John’s University is one of 58 supporters of the new Center for Youth Employment. File Photo.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray on Tuesday announced the creation of the Center for Youth Employment, which will coordinate and expand efforts to connect the city’s young people to opportunities for career exposure, summer jobs, skills-building programs, mentors, and guidance towards college and a career.
The public-private initiative, according to the administration, will aim to connect 100,000 young New Yorkers ages 14-24 to summer jobs, mentorships, and internships each year by 2020—an increase of 75 percent over current capacity.
“We can all remember that first job, that first adult who took notice and fostered our interests, and I commend our partners in this initiative for creating that same opportunity for tens of thousands more young New Yorkers—and call on large and small employers all around the city to join us,” de Blasio said. “Everyone has a role in ensuring the success of the next generation, which will in turn improve the long-term strength of our workforce and our economy. Today, with our partners, we are not only fulfilling our responsibility to our young people, we are moving forward in the fight against inequality. One hundred thousand jobs and mentorships is much more than a number on a page—it’s one hundred thousand advances toward a city of opportunity for all.”
The center, conceived and launched by the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City in collaboration with city agencies and private partners, will be integrated into the existing Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, supported by an initial raise of $3.2 million from the city’s business and philanthropic community, including founding partners Citi Foundation, Arcus Foundation, Goldman Sachs Gives, The James Family Charitable Foundation, Macy’s Inc., Tishman Speyer, and the Partnership for New York City. Immediate goals for 2015 include doubling private-sector paid internships to 1,000; doubling the number of summer jobs for the city’s most vulnerable youth in foster care or shelters to 2,000; and funding the training of 1,000 teachers and other in-school educators to provide career counseling. The center will also focus efforts on the city’s career and technical education schools, cementing school connections with a relevant industry partner to provide professional experience for students.
Some of the 58 private-sector employers and funding partners supporting the new initiative include: Allen Health Care Services; Amalgamated Bank; American Airlines; Arcus Foundation; Association for a Better New York; Blackrock, Inc.; Beyond Times Square; The Blackstone Group L.P.; Bright Horizons Family Solutions; Citi Foundation; Deloitte; Dinex Group LLC.; The Empire State Building; JP Morgan Chase & Co.; Modell’s Sporting Goods; National Grid PLC; National Lighthouse Museum; Neuberger Berman Group LLC; New York Road Runners; Newmark Grubb Knight Frank; New York Daily News; On Location Tours; Partnership for NYC; Pearson Education; Pfizer Inc.; Primary One LLC; Receptive Tours NYC; The Related Companies; SL Green Realty Corporation; St. John’s University; Tishman Speyer.
The center will be overseen by the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development and the Mayor’s Fund, under the umbrella of the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Partnerships.
For more information about the center or how to get involved at an internship site, visit nyc.gov/youthworkforce.
By Forum Staff
