A Historic Gift from MacKenzie Scott

In a monumental moment for our organization, we received a $4 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott—the largest single donation in JobsFirstNYC’s history. This generous contribution will bolster our strategic plan to enhance the strengths and opportunities available to young people in New York City, opening the doors for them to thrive and build fulfilling careers. Our city’s existing systems often struggle to meet the demands of a fast-evolving economy, particularly in an era when skilled labor is in high demand. This donation will enable us to address this challenge head-on, providing transformative solutions across the areas of community, education, policy, and work. It’s a powerful validation of our efforts, and we are deeply grateful for the trust placed in us to steward this impactful resource toward meaningful change.

Pioneering a Groundbreaking Local Impact Sourcing Partnership

With a shared commitment to local impact sourcing – the idea that economic opportunities should exist and thrive within the communities we serve through localized job creation, in February 2022, JobsFirstNYC and PeopleShores joined forces to create employment opportunities in neighborhoods with high unemployment rates. In the spring of 2024, PeopleShores opened its second site—in the Bronx, New York with anchor partner Accenture—which builds on its successful first site in Brooklyn,
New York bringing new pathways to employment to yet another community deeply in need of access to economic opportunities and good paying jobs.s. The impact of our partnership with PeopleShores is tangible and far-reaching, and we are excited to see how these sites will continue to create positive ripple effects in their communities.

Shaping a Future-Ready Workforce Development Sector

In April 2024, we continued our own work to deepen our understanding of technology’s influence on the development of America’s workforce, when we examined AI’s complexities and impacts and explored responsible, equitable ways to integrate it into the practice and solutions for workforce development. We hosted a thought-provoking Adapting to the Age of AI convening, which set a robust precedent for the workforce development sector, highlighting the urgent need for multidisciplinary
approaches to technological advances. Award-winning activist and scholar Renée Cummings, Fellow at All Tech Is Human, encouraged participants to embrace the revolution: “AI is a revolutionary technology that’s transforming every industry, every sector, every discipline, every business model.” And as we have done with early adaptation of AI, including our Skills Mapping initiative using adaptive AI to assess skills prevalence by neighborhood, we will continue to explore, document, and shape the effective and timely integration of AI across the workforce development system. JobsFirstNYC is committed to actively shaping tech’s trajectory towards inclusion and belonging for the next generation of education and workforce programs in this age of AI.

Replicating Economic Mobility Nationwide

We are proud to announce the launch of CommunityINC, a groundbreaking initiative marking JobsFirstNYC’s bold growth beyond New York City. This visionary effort is designed to incubate and accelerate place-based workforce intermediaries and funder collaboratives that deliver a structured, responsive infrastructure tailored to local workforce needs. Northeast Pennsylvania and Southern Nevada are the first regions to benefit from this transformative approach, with official planning already underway in collaboration with key stakeholders. CommunityINC embodies our commitment to scaling impactful solutions nationwide, fostering economic opportunity, and creating lasting change in communities across the country.

Strengthening Local Hiring

With pioneering tools like Skills Mapping powered by SkyHive, and resources from national coalition partners like OneTen, we are helping young New Yorkers connect their skills to real job opportunities, expanding access to fulfilling careers and facilitating pathways to economic mobility. At the invitation of the New York City Mayor’s Office, we supported hiring halls across New York City—with Skills Mapping and access to OneTen hiring opportunities- that brought workforce services, employers, training resources, and support directly to communities in every borough.

Looking Ahead with Resilience and Resolve

JobsFirstNYC’s impact in 2024 would not have been possible without the support of our community partners, investors, Board of Directors, and staff. Each initiative, each partnership, and every dollar contributed has helped us uplift young people and build stronger, more resilient communities where they live. Together, we are proving that collaboration and vision can overcome even the most complex challenges. Thank you for being a part of this journey and continuing to believe in our mission to create a brighter future for New York City’s young people and their communities.