Vallone urges city agencies to assess workforce
development initiatives to combat unemployment
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | DEC. 18-DEC. 24, 2020 5
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
As the city moves into a
new year and a post-COVID
world, Councilman Paul Vallone
is urging the New York
City Economic Development
Corporation (NYCEDC) and
Small Business Services (SBS)
to ensure equity-based workforce
development programs
throughout the five boroughs
in the coming months.
Vallone co-chaired a hearing
of the Committees on Economic
Development and Small
Business on Wednesday, Dec.
9, with the Mayor’s Office
of Workforce Development,
NYCEDC, and SBS Commissioner
Jonnel Doris.
Getting New Yorkers back
to work will be a multi-agency
effort that must be a top priority
heading into the new year,
according to Vallone.
“Today’s hearing offered
a critical look into job development
progress prior to the
COVID-19 crisis, how these initiatives
have adapted to challenging
circumstances and
what plans lie ahead for the
city’s various workforce development
programs and small
business support,” Vallone
said. “It is essential that these
programs reach the five boroughs
equitably and, likewise,
that New York City businesses
are connected directly to local
talent.”
During their testimony, advocates
stressed the need for
increased programs to assist
New Yorkers with pathways
into careers.
“New Yorkers need free job
training programs now more
than ever, said Abe Mendez of
Per Scholas, a nonprofit that
provides tuition-free technology
training to unemployed
or underemployed adults for
careers as IT professionals.
“Workforce organizations such
as Per Scholas are vital to the
economic recovery of the city.”
After previously having its
longest economic expansion on
record, New York City endured
one of the worst rates of job
losses of 82 other U.S. metropolitan
areas due to COVID-19,
in comparison to July 2020 and
July 2019.
From October 2019 to October
2020, private sector jobs
fell to 3,545,600 from 4,099,500
— a loss of 553,900 jobs — which
were shed primarily from the
leisure and hospitality sector.
Further, New York City saw
an unemployment rate that was
significantly higher than the
statewide rate, a disparity seen
and felt throughout the five boroughs.
In Queens, unemployment
saw its height in June with a
21.6 percent rate, compared to
the 3 percent rate seen in February,
but the borough has seen a
promising decline to 13 percent
in October.
NYCEDC reported on recent
workforce development
initiatives, including partnering
with Fullstack Academy to
launch a $7.8 million cybersecurity
“bootcamp” for NYC-based
cybersecurity jobs and awarding
$550,000 in micro-grants
to support workforce training
programs for in-demand jobs.
The organization also played
a critical role in creating local
manufacturing jobs in direct
response to the COVID-19 crisis
in the spring and the need for
PPE and medical equipment.
Last spring, SBS announced
the creation of an online resource,
“Career Discovery
NYC,” and pivoted its Workforce1
Career Centers job support
to virtual. However, overall
city resident engagement at
the Center was down this year
compared to last.
Vallone is also urging the
Mayor’s Office of Economic
Opportunity and Office of
Workforce Development to
market and promote working
nyc.gov, which serves as a new
workforce hub for city employment
resources and training
programs.
Councilman Paul Vallone (top left) co-chairs a virtual hearing of
the Committees on Economic Development and Small Business.
Courtesy of Vallone’s offi ce.
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