Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks visited Bronx Community College (BCC) on Monday to speak with educators before announcing new workplace initiatives meant to encourage New Yorkers to take jobs in the construction and utilities sector here in the city.
During his visit to BCC on Aug. 15, Mayor Adams announced the launch of New York City Pathways to Industrial and Construction Careers (PINCC) while also signing Executive Order 22 which will expand the Mayor’s Office for Talent and Workforce Development among other objectives.
Prioritizing the needs of New Yorkers at risk of poverty, PINCC aims to create pathways and resources for job placement and career training to also incentivize people to learn about and then start careers in construction or utility.
“Today we are taking a major step forward making sure more New Yorkers get training and access to these good jobs and that NYC employees have the talent they need so we can make them employable for what our partners are looking for,” said Mayor Adams during the press conference. “The program will train and place over 2,000 New Yorkers in high wage and career-track jobs in the construction, transportation and utilities sectors over the next three years. That’s an amazing feat.”
The Mayor’s initiative as well as Executive Order 22 will help set the stage for Adams’ newly created citywide expertise improvement technique and will create an environment within the city where young people entering the workforce can launch their careers.
Executive Order 22 also sees the Department of Education (DOE) and City Universities of New York (CUNY) collaborate with the Mayor’s office to ensure that the city’s young people will have educational opportunities to begin their careers in construction or utilities.
“Talent is and has all the time been this city’s most necessary asset,” said Deputy Mayor for Financial and Workforce Growth Maria Torres-Springer during the press conference. “This executive order empowers the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development to convene the whole of city government and local industry behind a single vision: A city where all New Yorkers can access good jobs and careers, and where business can access the talent they need, in the most vibrant economy in this country.”
To additionally aid young people in finding careers in construction and utilities, Mayor Adams announced in Executive Order 22 that PINCC will be funded by an $18.6 million grant from the U.S Economic Development Administration in response to the city’s winning proposal to the Good Jobs Challenge created under the American Rescue Plan act of 2021.
“With the support of an $18.6 million federal grant, we are taking major steps towards making sure that thousands of New Yorkers have access to jobs that they can support a family with, while giving our city’s employers access to the talent they need to thrive,” said Mayor Adams.
“This is a dynamic new approach to workforce development and a major shift from the previous way jobseekers and employers were served.”
David Ficher, the executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Youth Employment emphasized how Monday’s announcement will aid young New Yorkers as they make career decisions.
“With today’s announcements, Mayor Adams has placed New York City at the leading edge of the national workforce conversation,” said Fischer. “PINCC represents an unprecedented holistic approach to supporting low-income jobseekers toward career success and economic security. The executive order will align and streamline how the city delivers training and employment services. And the Future of Workers Task Force will ensure that the best minds of the field deeply inform strategy, policy, and programming over the years to come.”
Schools Chancellor David C. Banks also applauded the decision to partner with NYC schools to encourage students to start thinking about career moves and opportunities while young.
“Growing professionally should not be isolated to specific times in your life, and the partnership between our K-12 public schools, higher education, and employers is absolutely critical to seeing our young people thrive economically. What our children can achieve is unlimited if we help activate their passions throughout their life. Thank you to Mayor Adams for continuing to prioritize this important work.”
