Photo Courtesy of Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office
City DOE Chancellor Banks (l.) said that programs like FutureReadyNYC allow “us to mold the next generation of professional leaders that will revolutionize not just our city, but our country as well.”
By Forum Staff
Mayor Eric Adams, City Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor David Banks, and The City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Félix Matos Rodriguez on Wednesday announced a historic expansion of technology-career pipelines for city students, including through major commitments from tech giant Google.
DOE and CUNY will partner with Google as the first tech-anchor employer partner for the FutureReadyNYC initiative, providing career-connected learning opportunities, including career discovery programming, paid work-based learning experiences, and mentorship from tech professionals, Adams noted.
FutureReadyNYC is part of the DOE’s larger Student Pathways Initiative that works with employer partners to connect students to high-growth careers, with a goal of ensuring students have access to work experience and an early college credit or credential that sets them up for economically secure futures.
The announcement comes alongside a new $19 million investment for 100 FutureReadyNYC high schools. Google will also serve as an inaugural partner for the CUNY Tech Equity initiative, which will expand tech-focused career awareness from the first day on campus, advance curriculum innovation, increase the number of paid internships, and grow employer engagement with campuses, Adams administration officials said.
Google is offering its Data Analytics Certificate program to help students prepare for jobs in one of the nation’s fastest growing fields, and will provide teacher training for the 2023-2024 school year. Google will also serve as an inaugural partner for the CUNY Tech Equity initiative, which will expand tech-focused career awareness from the first day on campus, advance curriculum innovation, increase the number of paid internships, and grow employer engagement with campuses. Google’s leadership will serve on the industry advisory commission to ensure that curriculum meets industry standards.
“There is tremendous talent in our public schools, and this vital work allows us to mold the next generation of professional leaders that will revolutionize not just our city, but our country as well,” Banks said.
FutureReadyNYC is an example of the Adams administration’s “Pathways to an Inclusive Economy,” blueprint in action. The blueprint — also released on Wednesday — aims at enhancing talent development, job training, and employment services in the city. The blueprint, developed by the Future of Workers Task Force — and established by Adams in Executive Order 22 last summer — focuses on five core strategies to advance an employer-driven workforce training system, prepare New Yorkers for long-term career success, and ensure that city employers can tap the talent they need. One of the core strategies, reflected in Wednesday’s announcement, involves expanding the public and private partnerships needed to achieve citywide talent and workforce objectives through an empowered and reconstituted New York City Workforce Development Board. The blueprint also emphasizes increasing the access and availability of apprenticeships, launching a public/private talent investment fund, defining shared impact metrics to monitor performance, and improving the user experience for employers engaging with public workforce services. Adams noted that his administration has already made investments in career readiness and employment programs since taking office, including expanding the Summer Youth Employment Program; providing $33 million to support career pathways in public schools; and launching initiatives to promote workplace accessibility, tech careers, and nursing education.
Interested employers that want to participate in FutureReadyNYC can find out more by contacting FutureReadyNYC@schools.nyc.gov and TechEquity@cuny.edu.
