June 17, 2024

Brand new this year, three career pathways have been added, including career opportunities in project management, architecture and engineering, and creative services and digital media.

The fellowship program builds on the Adams administration's ongoing efforts to make City jobs more accessible for New Yorkers.

NEW YORK - Today, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and the City University of New York (CUNY) announced the start of the application period for the 2024 Civil Service Pathways Fellowship (CSPF) program, now accepting its fifth cohort connecting CUNY graduates with meaningful municipal work. Overseen and administered by DCAS, the CSPF is a two-year program for recent CUNY graduates, designed to create a pipeline from college to careers in civil service.

Civil Service Pathways Fellowship

"The Civil Service Pathways Fellowship program embodies our work here at DCAS. Working hand-in-hand with our partners at CUNY, we are opening doorways to municipal service and connecting recent grads with meaningful opportunities to serve their city and build rewarding careers in public service,” said DCAS Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “We are beyond excited to grow the program this year with three new career tracks, broadening the scope of the fellowship. Through the three new opportunities, we are ensuring that more talented individuals can contribute to the vital work of our municipal agencies and support the continued growth and success of New York City.”

“The Civil Service Pathways Fellowship program has provided an accessible on-ramp for CUNY graduates to begin building rewarding careers in civil service,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “CUNY is pleased to partner with DCAS to connect more graduates with well-paying municipal jobs and advance Mayor Adams’ efforts to make the city’s workforce fully reflective of New York’s rich talent and diversity.”     

“Civil service careers have long been a pathway to economic stability for New Yorkers, and it is critical that we connect CUNY graduates to opportunities in city government,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Strengthening the pipeline to municipal jobs for underrepresented communities who traditionally lack access has always been a priority for this Council. We’re proud to support the continued growth of the Civil Service Pathways Fellowship program, and we encourage all eligible CUNY graduates to apply by the July 12th deadline.”

Brand new this year, three new tracks have been added, including project management, architecture and engineering, and creative services and digital media expanding the program’s scope further than ever before. Upon selection, participants are placed in high-demand positions across the city in one of six professional career tracks, including the three new fields added this year:

• Policy and Program Analysis
• Procurement and Finance
• Information Technology and Data Analysis
• Creative Services and Digital Media
• Project Management
• Architecture and Engineering

“At DCAS, we are the driving force behind connecting New Yorkers with high-quality municipal work, and this fellowship is a shining example and true embodiment of this work,” said DCAS Executive Deputy Commissioner for Citywide Operations Beatrice Thuo. “By collaborating with CUNY, we are providing recent graduates with valuable career opportunities in competitive fields and creating an ecosystem of excellence. I cannot wait to welcome this next cohort to our municipal ranks and encourage all recent CUNY graduates to apply.”

“Connecting our CUNY students to civil service programs creates cohesive pathways within our city's career development system. As we look to increase capacity at our city agencies and diversify our workforce, we must prioritize opportunities in public service for our city's graduate population through the Civil Service Pathways Fellowship (CSPF) program," said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, Chair of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor.

“It is necessary that our next generation of leaders and community advocates receive the resources they require to strive for careers in public service. The Civil Service Pathways Fellowship does precisely that,” said Council Member Eric Dinowitz, Chair of the Higher Education Committee. “The program creates a direct course for CUNY graduates to pursue careers in civil service, while providing them with the opportunity to gain comprehensive municipal work experience within a diverse array of career track offerings. As the City Council’s Chair of the Higher Education Committee, I commend the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) for their consistent dedication to our CUNY students and am excited for this year’s cohort of fellows.”

Originally launched in 2019 as a way to connect CUNY graduates with engaging, rewarding, and well-paying municipal work, the fellowship has expanded from an initial cohort of 19 fellows to 79 fellows in 2023. To date, 25 City of New York agencies participate in the fellowship program, including FDNY, DOT, and NYCPS. As a mark of success for the program, among the initial cohort, 36 fellows have received offers for permanent municipal positions since the program's inception.

The deadline to apply is Friday, July 12, 2024. To be eligible for this fellowship, applicants must:

• Have a bachelor’s degree from CUNY.
• Be able to demonstrate eligibility to work in the United States.
• Live within the five boroughs of New York City.

The fellowship program builds on the Adams Administration’s efforts to expand municipal work to more New Yorkers than ever before. In April, Mayor Adams launched "Run This Town," a $1 million multi-media advertising campaign to engage diverse New Yorkers and help them apply for thousands of available city government jobs. The “Run This Town” campaign was preceded by the launch of "Jobs NYC," a multi-pronged citywide effort to reduce barriers to economic opportunities and deliver workforce development services directly to communities across the five boroughs that are experiencing high unemployment.

About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services

The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:

• Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees.
• Managing 55 public buildings.
• Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property.
• Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies.
• Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.
• Leading the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.

Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcas and by following us on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and listening to the Inside Citywide podcast.

About the City University of New York

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving more than 225,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 50,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “genius grants.” The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. To learn more about CUNY, visit https://www.cuny.edu.