Editor’s note: This feature was originally included in NYCETC’s NYC Workforce Weekly newsletter, which is delivered free to subscribers’ inboxes every Wednesday with trends and top stories about workforce development in New York City. Subscribe here.
On March 22, the New York City Council Committee on Youth Services held an oversight hearing on the preliminary Fiscal Year 2024 budget for the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). The Committee report prepared for Council members includes an extensive breakdown of the agency’s proposed budget for FY24.
At the hearing Gregory J Morris, NYCETC CEO said, “While recent communications from the Adams administration regarding an expansion of apprenticeship are promising, young job seekers who already face discrimination in the labor market – especially young Black men who continue to experience alarming rates of unemployment – will not find access to apprenticeships without first having access to strong employment pipelines that include career development, pre-apprenticeships, bridge programs, and supportive services. To ensure an equitable pandemic recovery that centers on the training, retraining and retention investments individuals need to enter and engage successfully in a 21st century workforce, employers need to provide living wages, and our local and state administrations must commit to the reduction of barriers to long-term employment, especially for those on public assistance.”