Workforce Skills
Since 2015, CYD has prioritized our efforts to help students build skills to attain sustainable jobs that offer advancement.
Skills-Based Workforce Training in High School
To compete in a challenging job market, students need to develop workforce skills while they are in high school, rather than waiting for graduation. This is particularly crucial post-pandemic, as the population of 18-to-24-year-olds who are out of school and out of work has hit a decade high of over 180,000 – one out of every four. Young adults of color are particularly impacted.
CYD has intensified workforce preparation and skills training in our partner high schools, through workshops, paid internships, financial literacy, interview preparation, and the “soft skills” most requested by employers: customer service, workplace etiquette, and conflict management.
In 2023-24 we have also added intensive digital literacy training, essential to 21st century employment and higher education success.
To compete in a challenging job market, students need to develop workforce skills while they are in high school, rather than waiting for graduation. This is particularly crucial post-pandemic, as the population of 18-to-24-year-olds who are out of school and out of work has hit a decade high of over 180,000 – one out of every four. Young adults of color are particularly impacted.
CYD has intensified workforce preparation and skills training in our partner high schools, through workshops, paid internships, financial literacy, interview preparation, and the “soft skills” most requested by employers: customer service, workplace etiquette, and conflict management.
In 2023-24 we have also added intensive digital literacy training, essential to 21st century employment and higher education success.
Postsecondary Training: The CYD Career Academy
We launched the CYD Career Academy in partnership with the Borough of Manhattan Community College Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development to provide postsecondary certificate training to our alumni. This innovative program was designed to bring together the youth development expertise of Comprehensive Youth Development, the instructional expertise of BMCC, and input from leading employers in the healthcare field on best workforce preparation.
More than 300 young people have been trained as Medical Assistants and Emergency Medical Technicians. 60% of graduates are now employed in the healthcare sector.
Omar
Finding His Calling
A Manhattan Comprehensive graduate and single father, Omar participated in the Career Academy’s rigorous Emergency Medical Technician training program. He is now a certified EMT and a proud role model for his son.
We launched the CYD Career Academy in partnership with the Borough of Manhattan Community College Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development to provide postsecondary certificate training to our alumni. This innovative program was designed to bring together the youth development expertise of Comprehensive Youth Development, the instructional expertise of BMCC, and input from leading employers in the healthcare field on best workforce preparation.
More than 300 young people have been trained as Medical Assistants and Emergency Medical Technicians. 60% of graduates are now employed in the healthcare sector.
For more information about the CYD Career Academy, email careeracademyinfo@cydnyc.org.
