
On April 26th, CASES was awarded a $50,000 grant from the New York State Department of Labor to provide work readiness training and job placement services to unemployed youth in New York City. The grant is funded under the New York Youth Works Program, which aims to combat the unacceptably high unemployment rates among inner city youth in communities across New York.
The grant funds will support services for youth enrolled in Career Exploration, a 14-week program that provides employment readiness training and paid internships at local nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies. Participants will also have the opportunity to earn the National Workforce Readiness Credential, a standards-based certification of an individual’s readiness for entry-level work, and receive job placement services focused on businesses that are certified with the New York State Department of Labor. Businesses that hire youth from the program are offered up to a $3,000 wage subsidy in the form of tax credits for hiring a youth for six months, with an additional tax credit of up to $1,000 available to employers who retain employees for an additional six months.
Businesses interested in participating in the NY Youth Works program should visit the New York State Department of Labor. For more information on the Youth Works Program, please see the press release from the Governor’s Office.