Low-income New Yorkers can learn an in-demand profession for free: details of the city program

A group of adults looking to change their careers or leave low-paid jobs graduated from a unique vocational training program last month and are ready to work in the promising sector of modern buildings management.

As the Gothamist, New York aims to become a city by 2050 environmentally friendly, and the specialists trained by the program understand this industry like no one else.

Workforce development program run by a non-profit organization Stacks+Joules, aims to teach building management skills to New Yorkers who now rely on technology and apps to operate more efficiently. This 14-week program mainly helps people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program places them in jobs that start at $60 a year and prepares them for an industry desperate for staff.

“I see a lot of other workforce programs that serve as sub-skills, but they are not job-focused. That's one of the principles of education that really defines Stacks+Joules—not teaching generalities, but teaching incredibly specific tasks,” explained Jonathan Spooner, co-founder of Stacks+Joules. – The result should be employment. It has to be a job.”

Unlike other workforce preparation programs that have a broader focus, the Stacks+Joules program has a narrow focus that has successfully helped most of its graduates gain employment in the industry. Since the program's introduction in 2021 in New York City, more than 100 people have participated and nearly 88% of students have completed the workshops. In the previous four cohorts, 83% of graduates were employed, with the majority working in the clean energy sector.

Highly specialized workforce training programs like those implemented by Stacks+Joules could be critical to achieving Mayor Eric Adams' stimulus goals.”inclusive economy“. In December, he announced that the city would invest $600 million in workforce training programs across the city to prepare 250 young New Yorkers for a changing workforce. Stacks+Joules does not receive city funding, but is already planning to recruit its new class next month.

Development of the social sphere

Research, a 2020 study commissioned by the city, found that industry-specific training programs significantly increased participants' earnings compared to more general training programs. Stacks+Joules primarily works with young people to target them in specific careers, and experts say this approach can help job seekers earn higher salaries and make them more likely to stay in the field.

City programs in the workforce range from lengthy degree or internship programs to high school equivalency workshops or programs aimed at helping people enter the workforce.

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“Traditionally, workforce development programs have often been thought of as something that happens when you don't have a successful career start, and as a 'second chance' system or a way to upskill or reskill as jobs change.” , said Abby Jo Segal, executive director of the Mayor's Office of Talent and Workforce Development (Mayor's Office of Talent and Workforce Development).

Workforce development experts say the program is a model of what happens when private industry partners with nonprofit social service organizations and educators to find and train the future workers they need.

“Not many of us are able to escape poverty,” says David Garza, CEO Henry Street Settlement, a nonprofit social service organization partnered with Stacks+Joules. “But when you have access to an opportunity that opens the door to economic self-sufficiency, then different rules come into play, whether it's providing for your family or saving for retirement. So there’s definitely a deliberate push to go into industries where there’s high demand and higher wages.”

“I want to be able to give something to my children”

During one Stacks+Joules class in November, about 20 students gathered at the Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side putting the finishing touches on their PowerPoint presentations.

“Many people are afraid of tests. They have trouble even trying to study or take tests, said program graduate Fran Peral, who now teaches the class. “We put them in groups so they can sort through the material, read it, so they can explain it to each other.”

Through the Stacks+Joules program, many students earn multiple technical certifications in electrical lighting and heating and cooling systems. Most of them find work, with three quarters of graduates getting jobs in the green economy, program data show.

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Brandon Roman, 31, said he entered the program to get away from customer service jobs, including working at a spy museum. “Usually the learning stops and everything starts to repeat itself. But here this is something new,” he emphasized. As a single father, Brandon wants a better future for his 11-year-old daughter and dreams of one day buying a home for them to live in. “This will be a real change in my life and in the life of my daughter.”

Four faculty members—all former graduates of the program—spent the day administering quizzes on low-pressure gauges, regenerative refrigerants, and ozone depletion potential for subsequent certification tests. Most students said they knew little about the industry before starting their studies.

Armitina Smith graduated from the program in May with a group of mostly mothers. She now works as one of the assistant instructors. “It was the first time I sat in front of a computer and learned how to code and was able to learn things and integrate software to make everything work,” she said.

Smith had previously attended other workforce training programs that trained her for security, clerical or maintenance jobs, but it wasn't enough for her and her four children. “I wanted to be able to give something to my children, leave them something as an inheritance and create some wealth for a generation,” she noted.

Removing barriers

In December, the Adams administration said it wanted to reimagine job training programs to target young New Yorkers, start earlier and help them successfully secure higher-paying jobs in in-demand industries.

В city ​​action plan it says about one in six New Yorkers ages 16 to 26 were unemployed and out of school in 2021. That is, most likely, these people had below average incomes and worse health indicators.

Stacks+Joules co-founder Michael Conway, a veteran educator, says the partnership with Henry Street Settlement is instrumental to their success: “They remove every possible barrier to full participation. If there is any problem, Henry Street helps solve it.”

The city aims to become carbon neutral by 2050, which means even more employers are looking for workers who can effectively manage green, modern buildings and integrate technology.

Anthony LeSine said he decided against enrolling in college this fall to enroll in a training program. He used to be a child actor and starred in Broadway shows, but didn't want to continue down that path. “At such a young age, knowing this information, I will succeed,” he assured. - Most of us will find work. I feel like we're all ready."