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Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a $2 million state investment to add 12 apprenticeship programs at the City University of New York for its associate degrees beginning in the fall 2023 semester, a major expansion of CUNY’s apprenticeship offerings. for credit in industries in demand. The additions build on the five existing learning programs embedded in CUNY’s associate degree programs in software engineering, consulting, finance, risk management, and cybersecurity.

“Apprenticeships are a critical launching pad for impactful, well-paying careers, and we’re proud to build a strong program for CUNY students.” Governor Hochul said. “With this additional $2 million investment, we can expand learning programs for associate degree programs and open up new opportunities for New Yorkers across the state.”

New apprenticeship offerings will launch at CUNY’s 10 associate degree colleges; In addition to CUNY’s seven community colleges, two-year degrees are offered at the College of Staten Island, Medgar Evers College, and New York City College of Technology. The employers who organize the apprenticeships will pay the students, and the students will earn nine course credits.

The chancellor of the City University of New York, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, said“Apprenticeships have always been a great pathway for young people to break into fields, offering them hands-on work until they are ready to do the job without help. Students need workplace experience and connections beyond the classroom more than ever. so they can have clear career paths when their education is over I am grateful to Governor Hochul for investing in our students, and we extend our thanks to employers who welcome our students in two-year degree programs to high-profile jobs Demand in your offices how we collaborate to strengthen our workforce.”

Students will be placed at companies such as JPMorgan Chase, EY, Citi, American Express, Deloitte, AIG, Mastercard, and Wells Fargo, who are members of the New York Jobs CEO Council. The Jobs Council is a coalition of CEOs from some of the city’s largest employers with a goal of employing 100,000 low-income and diverse New Yorkers, including 25,000 CUNY students and graduates, by the end of the decade.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said“As a CUNY graduate, I know how many opportunities this institution provides for New Yorkers. The apprenticeship programs provide students with skills and real-world experiences that help them develop their interests and set them on a path to a brighter future. With Governor Con With Hochul’s $2 million investment in the CUNY apprenticeship program, all students, especially our black and brown students, will have more opportunities to find high-paying jobs in finance, technology, and other fields.”

The executive director of the New York Jobs CEO Council, Kiersten Barnet, said: “These programs are game changers for both students and employers. Students get work-based learning opportunities that double as direct pathways into competitive entry-level roles. Employers get access to a broader pool of talent that reflects the rich diversity of our city.”

Manhattan Township Community College student Benjamin Abraham, who has previously participated in an apprenticeship at professional services firm EY, said“Networking has been very helpful, where we can walk up to a person in the hallways and ask them about their service lines, about the work they’re doing. Going into such a large company feels like a big mountain to climb, but This has been a smooth experience with a down-to-earth team.”

Abraham and his fellow EY trainees sit alongside the program’s facilitators all four days a week they are on site. In addition to being placed on specific teams, trainees are visited by guest speakers at least once a week; visiting senior leaders talk about how they have progressed in their own careers and give lectures about their industries.

EY Metro New York office managing partner Alysia Steinmann said“As a large New York employer, accepting college apprenticeships has been eye-opening, forcing us to challenge our current hiring standards and question why, for certain roles, we have required a four-year college degree. In our world that Changes quickly, we need to quickly adapt to new technology, and we need to bring this thinking to hiring as well. By expanding our recruiting pipeline to include qualified students from CUNY schools, we were able to tap into a broader and more diverse talent pool that, frankly, It has exceeded our expectations.”

The expansion will create apprenticeships for hundreds of students. Most of these are in associate of applied science (AAS) degree programs, two-year programs designed to prepare students for direct entry into a career after graduation, versus the more fundamental associate degree that traditionally leads students to transfer to a bachelor’s degree. program.

CUNY has prioritized expanding workforce development initiatives for its students and graduates. Those efforts include growing public-private partnerships with a $16 million investment in the CUNY Inclusive Economy Initiative; train students for financial careers through CUNY Futures in Finance; and place students in nonprofit and public sector jobs over the summer through the CUNY Career Launch. Chancellor Matos Rodríguez currently serves as co-chair of the City’s Future of Workers Task Force, which was tasked by Mayor Adams with exploring ways to develop the workforce, including expanding apprenticeship opportunities.