Commitment from Google Announced at New York City Employment and Training Coalition Annual Conference For Workforce Providers, Partners
Mayor Eric Adams, City Council Members, Labor Leaders and Others Spoke To More Than 500 Attendees In Support of Stronger Workforce, Economic Development Policies
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New York, NY – (Oct. 19, 2022) — Google announced it would commit $1 million to the New York City Employment and Training Coalition, the largest city-based workforce development association in the country, to help New Yorkers access the education and skills to begin and sustain well-paying careers in the technology sector.
“As tech jobs and businesses increase, we must commit to building the infrastructure and committing to the educational opportunities necessary to create accessible and sustainable pipelines to the industry. The Google NYC Tech Career Opportunity Fund will help ensure we can live up to that promise,” said Greg Morris, CEO for the New York City Employment and Training Coalition. “We’re grateful to Google for their team’s partnership in the work it takes to strengthen and diversify the city’s tech industry. By eliminating roadblocks that prevent access, and making the investments needed to achieve equity, we will grow a fairer economy and leave no New Yorker behind.”
“We’re proud to support the New York City Employment and Training Coalition in its mission to help increase opportunities for computer science and tech job seekers in New York City,” said Angela Pinsky, Google Vice President of Policy and Special Initiatives and NYCETC NYC Workforce Business Council member. “This grant is a key component of our NYC Tech Opportunity Fund, which aims to connect New Yorkers with the best organizations that can help them springboard into their tech careers.”
Employment and training organizations focused on addressing the technology opportunity gap, closing the digital divide, and creating a diverse and dynamic technology talent ecosystem will be eligible to apply for grants to support their work through the new funding.
The grant comes as New York City’s technology industry continues to grow. In August 2022, the technology sector accounted for a combined 260,000 jobs, and a quarter of job gains (28,000) in growth industries since February 2020 have occurred in tech-related industries. Additionally, a September report from NYCETC found that the technology sector comprises the highest percentage of job training programs in New York City.
“New York City is on its way towards a strong and equitable recovery,” said Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development. “Thanks to partners like Google and the New York City Employment and Training Coalition, our city is setting an example on how the talent development and business communities can partner to connect more New Yorkers to effective digital and tech skills training and well-paying jobs in our thriving tech sector.”
Google made the announcement at the 2022 NYCETC Conference: Advancing Talent & Equity for a Thriving Economy, where more than 500 workforce and economic development professionals, employers, government officials and funders gathered on Thursday, Oct. 13. Mayor Eric Adams joined the conference and addressed the audience at the CUNY Graduate Center in support of the workforce provider community and to reinforce the City of New York’s commitment to a stronger economy for every New Yorker.
Other guests and speakers included: City Council Members Gale Brewer and Amanda Farias; members of the NYC Future of Workers Task Force including Abby Jo Sigal of the Mayor’s Office of Talent & Workforce Development, Lauren Andersen of the City University of New York, Katy Gaul-Stigge of Goodwill NYNJ, Lisette Nieves of Fund for the City of New York and Alysia Steinmann of Ernst & Young; labor leaders including Henry Garrido of District Council 37, Gary LaBarbera of the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and Sandi Vito of the 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds.
The $1 million grant from Google will allow NYCETC to help underrepresented New Yorkers seek new careers to grow their technology skills and connect to professional opportunities. NYCETC will allocate funds to qualifying tech training providers supporting new and existing workforce development programs. The partnership with Google is part of the company’s NYC Tech Opportunity Fund, a $4 million investment in local computer science education announced last month.
The grant also allows NYCETC to expand its capacity to focus on connecting all tech education stakeholders in a way that grows access to training for BIPOC individuals through collaborative and innovative solutions while meeting the needs of both small and large businesses.
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About the New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)
Founded in 1997, the New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC) is the largest city-based workforce development association in the country. NYCETC works to ensure that every New Yorker — especially those who have been historically marginalized and disenfranchised and cut off from workforce opportunities — has access to the skills, training, and education needed to thrive in the local economy and that every business is able to maintain a highly-skilled workforce. Its over 200 members create jobs and connect underserved New Yorkers — primarily New Yorkers of color, New Yorkers with low or moderate incomes, New Yorkers with multiple barriers to employment, and New Yorkers who have been left out of the growing economy due to systemic and historic marginalization — to opportunities so they can support their families and give back to their communities.