Schumer, Gillibrand Secure Over $6.7 Million in Funding for NYC Workforce Development and Education Programs

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced they secured over $6.7 million in funds for workforce development and education programs aimed at helping New York City residents, as part of the historic bipartisan omnibus appropriations agreement for Fiscal Year 2022.

“The pandemic not only greatly hindered the scholastic and social development of our New York City students but stunted the growth of many of our residents looking to add to their skill sets to help them further advance in their careers,” said Sen. Gillibrand. “The pandemic hit our low-income and minority families in the most underserved communities particularly hard, and these funds are a step in the right direction toward addressing their needs and helping our students and workforce to bounce back from the damage COVID-19 left behind.”

“I’m proud to bring these investments to our communities in New York after COVID disrupted classrooms and workforces across the state,” said Senator Schumer. “I fought to secure this vital funding in the omnibus bill for workforce development and education-focused projects—from college access programs and adult education services for immigrant New Yorkers, to skills development for formerly incarcerated students. This federal funding will help communities address the learning, workforce preparation, and job training loss New Yorkers experienced because of the pandemic.”

Organizations receiving funds include:

Sunnyside Community Services ($100,000)

Sunnyside Community Services (SCS) will receive funds for their Safety, Learning, and College Access Program, based out of the Woodside Houses Cornerstone community center, a public housing-based community center in Woodside, Queens. The program creates a pathway toward academic success and self-efficacy that will aid 70 students who are emerging from social isolation and experiencing learning loss caused by COVID-19.

Make the Road New York ($400,000)

Make the Road New York will receive funds to help expand and sustain adult education services for immigrant New Yorkers. The program will provide English Language Acquisition (ELA) and Citizenship Preparation (civics) classes that will advance career opportunities for students as well as connect them to holistic services to meet immediate needs.

Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation ($500,000)

Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation will receive funds for their Technology Career Advancement and Mobility Initiatives, which advance and expand job training, skills development, technical assistance, professional development and networking, counseling, and employer engagement for residents of Central Brooklyn. Funding will support their expansion as they work to engage education and employment partners, accommodate more residents in their Bridge to Tech programs and double recruitment in their Breakthrough Technology Fellowship to 75 participants per year.

York College, CUNY ($527,000)

York College will receive funds to offer six high-quality course offerings and trainings that are aligned with in-demand occupations and career pathways in New York City, as identified by leading employers and marketplace data. These offerings will equip low- and middle-skilled workers, as well as students and alumni, with skills to advance in the workforce.

NYC Mission Society ($1,100,000)

NYC Mission Society will receive funds for its “Level Up” Program, which serves as a key component of New York City’s efforts to reduce high school dropout rates, as well as prepare students for post-secondary education and the workforce.

City College of New York, CUNY ($1,500,000)

College of New York’s workforce development program will receive funds for their infrastructure training program that prepares participants for construction and operations jobs across multiple infrastructure sectors – transport, energy, communications, water and wastewater, food, health in built environments – with emphasis on digital skills for advanced forms of project management, system supervisory control and operations management.

New York University ($300,000)

New York University will receive funds for their prison education program, providing formerly incarcerated students valuable skills in social science research and reintegrating them into New York City while also engaging them in knowledge-creation to improve research methodologies, engage a wider range of subjects, and develop higher quality social science data.

Helene Fuld College of Nursing  ($1,000,000)

Helene Fuld College of Nursing, which is designated as a Minority Serving Institution and a Military Friendly school for the 2021-2022 school year, will receive funds to diversify the registered nurses workforce in the New York area by providing nursing students with scholarships.

Columbia University ($134,000)

Columbia University will receive funds for a high school training program for small business accounting.

The HOPE Program (Bronx) ($800,000)

The HOPE Program (Bronx) will receive funds for a job training program for green jobs to support justice-impacted individuals.

Sunnyside Community Services ($175,000)

Sunnyside Community Services will receive funds for its Home Health Aide Training Program. The funding will allow 300 community members to receive free training classes, which are offered in both English and Spanish.

Queens Economic Development Corporation ($250,000)

Queens Economic Development Corporation will receive funds for their Queens Together Project to support local independent restaurants and food businesses through business education, worker education, as well as technical and marketing skills.

Source: The Office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand