New York City launched a new vocational training and apprenticeship program that will provide career opportunities for youth ages 16 to 24 in foster care, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday.
The new program, called V-CRED, from the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), will support young people in their education, career and personal development, and is being created in partnership with WK Kellogg Foundationthe City University of New York (CUNY), and private sector employers.
As part of the program, youth will participate in training for professional certification through courses offered by Kingsborough Community College. They will also participate in paid internships/apprenticeships and have employment opportunities with the employer organizing the internship.
“If we don’t educate, we incarcerate, which is why one of my most important jobs is to advocate for our youth who have been in foster care or have had contact with the juvenile justice system,” said Mayor Adams. “This new V-CRED apprenticeship and vocational training program will help prepare our youth for good jobs and bright futures. But it is about more than just learning. It’s about guidance and mentoring because when it comes to helping young people plan for their future: we’re not going to let them just do it, we’re going to take them under our wing.”
V-CRED will focus on five career paths:
- information technology
- Electrician helper.
- Health related (eg Certified Nursing Assistants, EKG Technician).
- Pharmacy technicians.
- Construction trades.
V-CRED is one of multiple strategies that ACS is currently implementing to improve the educational and employment outcomes of youth in foster care. Research has shown that the most effective programs for older youth in foster care are comprehensive service models that include education, employment, housing, and support services.
Youth in V-CRED will also benefit from services through the initiative Fair Futures, which provides dedicated coaches, tutors, and education, employment, and housing specialists for youth ages 11-21 in foster care. Youth will also be able to enroll in career preparation training through Hats and Laddersan occupational education program designed to motivate and prepare young people for work.
V-CRED will begin as a two-year pilot program, serving 90 youth in foster care, 45 youth per year. The program has three basic components, including professional certification training, paid internships, and job placement. The program is aligned with a career pathways model and provides developmentally appropriate career preparation planning designed to provide each person with an educational and career plan, resume, cover letter, and professional network in which they work. to develop.
Private sector employers and community agencies provide paid internships that will also offer tangible job opportunities at workplaces where youth gain work experience and on-the-job training. The program also includes wraparound services and participation in the Young Adult Work Opportunities for Rewarding Careers (YA WORC) program, a program offered in partnership with Columbia University that includes a facilitated support group where youth can share their experiences during training. with other young people. , ask questions about your career and get feedback from training professionals.
Partnerships have been developed for training in industry-focused areas with Common Point Queens (Pre-HSE/HSE classes) and Kingsborough Community College (pharmaceutical technology and EMT classes) and Metro Placements to ensure that young people have access to the specific industry training they want. .
Private sector employers, (USIS, Health Max, Walgreens, CVS, etc), will offer paid internships and apprenticeships to youth that can potentially lead to immediate employment.
“ACS is committed to giving young people the education and career opportunities they deserve, and this new V-CRED vocational training program is an important way we are working to achieve that,” said ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. . “We know that when we invest in opportunities for our young people, they work hard and take advantage of them. By giving youth in foster care access to professional certifications, paid internships and employment opportunities, and maintaining these opportunities beyond foster care into young adulthood, we are working to ensure they have the right support to pursue their dreams. and be successful adults.
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