TESTIMONY
Testimony by Greg Morris, CEO of New York City Workforce Development Association on Workforce Development
2:22:09
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134 sec
Greg Morris, CEO of the New York City Workforce Development Association, provided testimony on workforce development initiatives in New York City. He highlighted the organization's role in supporting workforce development providers and serving nearly half a million New Yorkers annually. Additional points include:
- The majority of participants served are women, young adults, immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
- Morris suggested the creation of a city council workforce development task force or committee to oversee and report on job development and training investments.
- He emphasized the need for better coordination and reporting of outcomes related to workforce development investments.
Greg Morris
2:22:09
Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony council member.
2:22:13
My name is Greg Morris.
2:22:14
I'm the CEO of the New York City Workforce Development Association.
2:22:17
That is an organization that serves as a resource and a support.
2:22:22
Workforce development providers, 220 in total, serving almost half a1000000 New Yorkers on an annual basis.
2:22:28
Our membership indicates that the majority of participants that our providers serve are women, young adults, night residents, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and justice involved individuals.
2:22:40
Our job essentially in the workforce development ecosystem is to track the value and impact of the commitments of The city administration makes in support of job readiness and training to serve as a resource to employers and employer intermediary seeking talent and advocate for the budgetary, legislative, and regulatory action items that maximize access and equity in programs and services that are essential to our efforts.
2:23:01
So that means industry specific skill development, college and career exploration, internships, apprenticeships, rescaling upskilling options, as well as employment placement retention and supportive services.
2:23:12
I wanted to take my the testimony can submit it online, happy to talk to you and your team about any of the specific details we have about strategy related to workforce development in New York City.
2:23:21
I specifically came to this hearing because the small business services has responsibility for 18 workforce 1 centers in New York City.
2:23:28
And as they reported in the preliminary hearing report, their numbers are down in terms of placements, usage.
2:23:36
It's also the case that the the the amount of money that those sites have is down as well.
2:23:41
And I wanna flag that, and I wanna champion the fact that you flat, you talked about it related to the disability's office.
2:23:46
But we don't track job placement.
2:23:48
We don't track outcomes.
2:23:49
If you look at the MMR, we really don't know how it is that the investment the city is making in workforce 1.
2:23:55
Is resulting in better opportunities for New Yorkers seeking job opportunity in the city.
2:24:00
So I just wanna flag that, and and I think one of the solutions to that could be the city council having its own workforce development task force or committee that would call to mind both this agency and others coming to the table reporting outcomes related to the investments the administration makes in job development and training so that all New Yorkers can benefit from those investments.
2:24:22
Thank you.