Mayor Adams Announces $2 Million Investment to Build and Expand Apprenticeships Across Diverse Sectors

February 7, 2025

Funding Will Create New Apprenticeship Opportunities for New Yorkers in Child Care, Nursing, Information Technology, and More

New Programs Expected to Serve Over 300 Apprentices, Help New York City Reach Mayor Adams' '30x30' Moonshot Apprenticeship Goal

Investment Part of Adams Administration's "Jobs Week," Highlighting City's Effort to Ensure Opportunity Reaches Every Borough, Block, and Neighborhood

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today continued "Jobs Week" by awarding $2.1 million to nine organizations to create, expand, and implement apprenticeships in diverse sectors and connect more underserved New Yorkers to good-paying careers. This funding will help three organizations develop new apprenticeship programs and another six organizations grow existing programs. Today's investment will also help New York City achieve Mayor Adams' 2023 State of the City '30x30' goal of connecting 30,000 New Yorkers to apprenticeships by 2030; Mayor Adams announced, last year, that New York City has already surpassed 15,000 apprenticeship opportunities in fewer than three years and put the administration ahead of schedule. To help meet this ambitious goal, Mayor Adams also launched the Apprenticeship Accelerator, a dedicated team housed within the Mayor's Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYC Talent) to work across the public and private sectors and expand apprenticeship opportunities. The investment unveiled today is part of Mayor Adams' Jobs Week, highlighting the city's efforts to ensure job opportunities reach every borough, block, and neighborhood and advancing Mayor Adams' 2025 State of the City commitment to make New York City the best, most affordable place to raise a family.

"Our administration is fighting every day to make New York City the best place to raise a family, and creating more apprenticeships and providing more New Yorkers with opportunities will help get us there," said Mayor Adams. "These investments will not only connect hundreds of New Yorkers to apprenticeships today, but set them up for good-paying careers tomorrow. They will help us reach our moonshot goal of 30,000 apprenticeships by 2030 and put even more money back into the pockets of New Yorkers as we create a safer, more affordable city for all."

"Today's announcement is a win-win for job seekers and employers alike as apprenticeships are one of the most effective ways to position New Yorkers for careers that offer economic mobility and security," said NYC Talent Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal. "Apprenticeships provide the city's diverse talent with industry-valued experience, while earning a good wage, learning in-demand skills, and giving employers access to the high-quality talent they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving and complex economy."

"At CUNY, we are committed to preparing our students for careers that are prosperous and fulfilling, and we are grateful to Mayor Adams and our partners at NYC Talent for supporting the creation of a range of apprenticeship opportunities," said City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. "Apprenticeships give our students a direct and expedient path to jobs. These new programs will also benefit a growing number of employers in high-demand sectors by connecting them to exceptional talent that fully reflects our city's great diversity."

The awardees announced today responded to two requests for proposals (RFPs) – one RFP for planning and one RFP for implementation – released by NYC Talent to foster the development of new apprenticeships; create new programming in high-demand careers; and diversify sectors that use apprenticeships to hire, train, and retain talent. All nine awardees will also contribute to NYC Talent's Apprenticeship Accelerator, which brings together over 50 talent development practitioners from key sectors to grow the number of apprenticeship opportunities, champion apprenticeship in new industries, examine policy and practice barriers, and make apprenticeships more accessible for all New Yorkers.

The following organizations have been awarded grants to develop new apprenticeship programs:

• Pursuit: to expand pathways to careers in technology for diverse New Yorkers.
• On Ramps: to build a community of employers, mentors, and job seekers in information technology and software development.
• Spectrum U: to develop programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers for neurodivergent job seekers.

The following organizations have been awarded grants to grow and implement apprenticeship programs:

• New Jewish Home: to create a registered apprenticeship program for certified nursing assistants for out of school or out-of-work young adults.
• Per Scholas: to diversify the technology sector in high-growth occupations through rigorous technology training and relationships with employer networks.
• CUNY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute: to help reduce the shortage of qualified child-care workers.
• Pursuit: to create registered apprenticeships in software development and other emerging technology occupations.
• Open Classrooms: to expand its online training for in-demand information technology roles.
• Kennedy Children's Center: to increase the number of registered apprentices in its teacher training program.

Historically, apprenticeship opportunities in New York City have overwhelmingly focused on the construction industry and other skilled trades. The Adams administration has worked to expand apprenticeship opportunities in new industries and serve diverse populations, creating entry points for in-demand jobs that power the city's economy, including the green economy, health care, technology, and other sectors. The amount of non-construction apprenticeship programs has grown by 62 percent, including new programs in health care, technology, culinary arts, and public service.

Some highlights of this tremendous growth include:

• 4,000 more health care apprenticeships now than there were in 2022.   
• A nearly 2,000 percent increase in the number of apprenticeships in technology since 2022.   
• A nearly 2,300 percent increase in the number of apprenticeships in professional services.

Apprenticeships take collaboration and commitment across sectors and in partnership with both public and private partners. New stakeholders – including Fortune 500 companies, public-sector agencies, and educational institutions – are stepping up to create more apprenticeship opportunities for New Yorkers. 

"Apprenticeships are a valuable tool to uplift our fellow New Yorkers, giving them the ability to stand on their own two feet and enjoy rewarding, meaningful careers. Employers benefit from increased productivity and less turnover. As we celebrate 'Jobs Week,' the unprecedented jobs growth continues with this $2.1 million investment in apprenticeships for exciting careers in fields ranging from IT to health care," said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. "Nine partner organizations will have the power to train hundreds of New Yorkers and set them on a path to a career, while putting us on a path to reach the '30x30' goal of providing 30,000 New Yorkers with apprenticeship opportunities by 2030. I am proud of my work toward this goal, helping pass Community Hiring legislation to empower the city to recruit for apprenticeships people from disadvantaged communities. Together, we will continue taking job creation to new heights in our city."

"Apprenticeship programs are a great way to help launch people into long careers of productive employment," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "The funding announced today will help create a workforce that is better prepared for the modern economy. And a well-trained workforce is what we need to spur economic prosperity that will benefit our entire city."

"As the Bronx continues to grow, this investment is a powerful step toward connecting more of our residents to good-paying, sustainable careers. By supporting organizations that create and expand apprenticeship opportunities, we are not just building a stronger workforce – we are opening doors to a brighter future for Bronxites," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.

"Pursuit is thrilled to receive support to create new tech apprenticeships in the city. With critical partners Tech:NYC, the New York Jobs CEO Council, and the Partnership for New York City, we are tapping into powerful networks to activate new career opportunities that create talent solutions for the rapidly-advancing tech industry," said Jukay Hsu, founder and CEO, Pursuit. "Apprenticeships are essential to building a thriving economy and equipping New Yorkers for the jobs of the future. As the first New York State Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship provider in Software Development serving low-income New York City adults, we're proud to support the city's ambitious 30x30 moonshot goal by expanding tech apprenticeships."

"We are excited to bring our model for hiring, training, and employing individuals on the autism spectrum to New York City, creating opportunities for these talented and capable individuals to excel while addressing critical needs in various industries," said Patrick Bardsley, co-founder and CEO, Spectrum Designs.

"We are deeply grateful to the Mayor's Office of Talent and Workforce Development for investing in SkillSpring to convert it to an official registered apprenticeship program," said Dr. Jeffrey Farber, president and CEO, The New Jewish Home. "This funding not only acknowledges the success of our SkillSpring Young Adult program; it also reinforces our commitment to creating meaningful career pathways in health care. It empowers us to invest in the next generation of our health care workforce – young people from underserved communities eager to make a difference by providing skilled and compassionate care for older New Yorkers. Through this grant, we look forward to helping young people launch and retain health care jobs by providing much-needed mentorship and continuing education opportunities."

"As our economy continues to expand digitally, so does our need for technologists," said Plinio Ayala, president and CEO, Per Scholas. "Apprenticeships, like the ones fueled by this grant, are fundamental to ensure a workforce that is both skilled and accessible. Out of the technologists from the Per Scholas Cybersecurity Apprenticeship program, 83 percent are people of color and women, providing companies with skilled, job-ready employees. This grant will expand our efforts to economically mobilize disadvantaged communities and prepare them for the workforce of tomorrow." 

"OpenClassrooms is honored to partner with the City of New York to deliver apprenticeship programs that empower small and medium-sized business and enterprise businesses to build resilient talent pipelines. Our expansion to New York City signals the start of something transformative," said Pierre Dubuc, co-founder and CEO, OpenClassrooms. "These efforts go beyond addressing immediate workforce needs – they foster equity, economic mobility, and opportunity for all. This partnership is more than a local investment; it reflects OpenClassrooms' global mission of making education and career opportunities accessible to everyone."

"Registered apprenticeship programs are a natural and powerful tool to address the decades-long teacher shortage, especially in hard-hit populations like early childhood special education," said Jeanne Alter, CEO, Kennedy Children's Center. "We are excited to partner with NYC Talent to build a diverse, certified, well-trained workforce of education professionals dedicated to teaching some of the most vulnerable learners in the public school system: young children with disabilities."