JobsFirstNYC convened its first in-person Partnership Forum since the pandemic, with over 80 long-standing and new partners gathering together February 16, 2023 to discuss shared challenges, and unique solutions.
Ensuring that space and opportunities are created to celebrate partnership efforts to build workforce strategies together for young adults and their communities, the forum included time and activities for partners to learn and share amongst JobsFirstNYC’s expansive network. A key goal was to also provide a state of JobsFirstNYC and what to look forward to, including new initiatives and partner feedback. The convening celebrated the strength and resilience of partnerships and fostered opportunities for attendees to build connections.
The forum, titled Harnessing the Power of Partnership, attracted community, education, and sector workforce development partners from across New York City. Highlights included a data report and analysis on the state of 16- to 24-year-old New Yorkers who are out of school and out of work, and members of two partnerships presenting on their collaborative’s progress.
Marjorie Parker, President and CEO, welcomed guests and opened the event with a JobsFirstNYC year in review.. In her remarks, Parker pointed out that “JobsFirstNYC was launched in 2006 to transform the systems supporting the out-of-school, out-of-work young adult population in NYC. We launched with a promise to serve through partnership and since then we have elevated young adult’s needs and the concerns of all of us who work in service to them. We continue to identify, build, and strengthen innovative partnerships like OneTen and Skills Mapping with SkyHive – that will bring the power of technology to people and communities and empower them to realize their full potential.”
Peeling Back the Layers: The State of Young Adults in New York City
Reversing Nearly a Decade of Gains: The Pandemic State of Out-of-school, Out-of-work Young Adults in New York City, a new data brief commissioned by JobsFirstNYC and presented by Community Service Society of New York’s Emerita Torres, Vice President of Policy, Research, and Advocacy, Debipriya Chatterjee, Senior Economist, and Jennifer Hinojosa, Policy Analyst, highlighted the following key takeaways:
- The out-of-school, out-of-work young adult (OSOW) population has increased since the pandemic as labor markets closed and sectors that were major employers of young adults are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
- Although educational attainment has continued to improve among the 16- to 24-year-old population, most OSOW young adults lack any college education.
- The OSOW population increased most in the city’s economically marginalized districts, especially in Manhattan and Queens, where there are fewer City workforce program sites.
Leaving Our Imprints on the Community Board
Throughout the afternoon, partners were invited to write their insights on the “Community Wall” about what they see in their space; why young adults are not participating in or completing training; and why our young adults are not taking the jobs we know to be available.
❝I feel energized by the ideas and the determination of the participants. People were sharing how they are navigating the challenges in their individual communities. Their solutions can be modified to solve problems in my neighborhood.❞
Implementing JobsFirstNYC’s Resilient Impact Framework
Amanda Rosenblum, Vice President, Education, Evaluation, and Impact, teamed up with Allyson Bay, Manager, Evaluation and Learning to share JobsFirstNYC’s Impact Framework which begins with partners committing to an inclusive change process; continues with the development of new solutions leading to tangible outcomes for young adults, their communities, and our partners who serve them; and multiplies through the scale of proven practices and policies across systems.
Bringing the Fire with Ignite Presentations
Demonstrating their inclusive partnership, the Brownsville Hub Cooperative delivered a tag team Ignite presentation led by Tara Muhammad, Program Manager, Isaiah Blake, Program Coordinator, and Natalie Caper, Program Assistant, that outlined how communication, determination, and planning are laying the foundation for Brownsville to create a people-centered, equity-based approach to create a self-sufficient community for residents.
Key Takeaways:
- Long-term relationships are important when developing a self-sufficient community
- Be creative about reaching and communicating with different partners.
- The Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation is working to create economic growth opportunities for Brownsville residents.
Sister Tara Muhammad said, “There was a time where you didn’t need to leave Brownsville because the community was self-sufficient. We are working to bring that community and spirit back. We want Brownsville to be a commitunty that residents can be proud of again.”
During the Bronx Opportunity Network (BON) Ignite presentation, Theory Thompson, Chief Program Officer of Education & Vocation Programs at Good Shepherd Services; Allison Palmer, Associate Executive Director at New Settlement; and Cindy Concepcion, Director at New Settlement, updated attendees on the partnership’s long-term strategic push to improve dual outcomes for their students.
Key takeaways:
Achieving Improved Student Outcomes requires
- Preparing students through summer programming.
- Supporting students with degree mapping and academic needs.
Securing Career Outcomes requires
- Creating a feedback loop that is provided to college leadership ideas that are tested and piloted.
- Connecting to the local community to ensure that a strong infrastructure is created to recruit students.
Thank you to all of our partners who came and shared their wisdom, experiences, and reflections. We look forward to our next Partnership Forum when we will continue to boldly seek solutions to strengthen each partnership and improve collaboration.
Partners represented included:
Healthcare Sector Network
Jerome Avenue Revitalization Collaborative
Tech Sector Network
