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Become an Employer Partner

 

What Is Workforce Connect?

The Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) provides New York City youth and adults with paid work experiences, work readiness and occupational training, academic support, job placement services, and financial empowerment through a variety of Workforce Connect programs.

  • The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is the nation's largest summer work program for young people, providing six weeks of paid work experience for youth ages 14-24 at no cost to participating employers.
  • Ladders for Leaders, the capstone experience for an SYEP participant, connects high-achieving high school and college students with employer-paid professional internships in competitive industries.
  • Through Advance & Earn and Train & Earn, young adults who are out-of-school and out-of-work receive academic support to gain their High School Equivalency, occupational skills training and industry-recognized credentials, City-subsidized internships with employer partners, and job placements.
  • Year-round programming for high school students, such as Work, Learn & Grow and Learn & Earn, provides college readiness and workforce development training along with access to CUNY classes and afterschool internships.

 

Hiring young people through DYCD’s Workforce Connect programs offers employers the opportunity to tap into emerging talent and build a workforce that better reflects local communities, while reducing recruitment/onboarding costs and directly contributing to New York City’s economic development. Companies and organizations large and small are invited to connect with DYCD’s Employer Engagement and Partnerships team by completing the interest form below.

What Is SYEP?

The NYC Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is the nation’s largest youth employment program that connects New Yorkers ages 14 to 24 with a six-week paid summer work experience. Employers can host SYEP participants for 150-hour jobs/internships at no cost.

Hiring young people through SYEP is a direct investment in the economic recovery of New York City. Connecting with our diverse and local talent helps employers continue to build a workforce that reflects our communities and allows companies and organizations large and small to engage as leaders with the next generation.

SYEP participants explore career pathways, build workplace skills, and engage in learning experiences that develop their social, civic and leadership capabilities skills. By participating in structured projects and work-based opportunities, NYC youth are better prepared for careers of the future.

Ladders for Leaders, a component of SYEP, is a nationally recognized program that offers outstanding high school and college students the opportunity to participate in employer-paid professional summer internships with leading corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies in New York City. Employers may hire youth directly into their existing internship programs, or design new opportunities for Ladders participants. Employer-paid internships can run more than six weeks in length and for up to 40 hours per week.

Reasons to Hire SYEP Participants:

 hosting Participants

 

Are you an NYC youth looking to apply to SYEP? Click here.

Contact DYCD:


Complete this form to speak with a member of DYCD’s Employer Engagement and Partnerships team.