Pathways to an Inclusive Economy

New York City ’s three largest youth-serving institutions – New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), The City University of New York (CUNY), and the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) – along with the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYC Talent) have collectively developed a strategy to guide New York City’s efforts to ensure that all its young people reach adulthood well-prepared for career success. The creation of this strategy was accelerated by participation in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Youth Systems Building Academy. This Action Plan articulates that strategy, and includes five core goals:

1. Expand career-connected learning at every stage of a young person’s journey, including career-contextualized academics and advising, career exploration, career preparation and training, work-based learning, internships, and apprenticeships.
2. Early interventions to ensure youth and young adults remain connected to career pathways and are supported during transitions from school to postsecondary and work.
3. Re-engage young people who are now out of school and out of work through targeted outreach, programs, and services.
4. Improve data collection and analytics to support stronger transitions, promote continuous improvement, and ensure that collective efforts address historic educational and employment disparities.
5. Implement a coherent and comprehensive strategy to improve and expand employer engagement to help develop talent, ensure access to meaningful career-connected learning experiences, and connections to full-time employment.

To learn more about Pathways to an Inclusive Economy, click here. To support this initiative, click here. Continue reading for program highlights.

Program Highlights

Summer Youth Employment Program

The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is the nation’s largest youth employment program, connecting NYC youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with career exploration opportunities and paid work experience each summer.

Through SYEP, participants can explore different interests and career pathways, develop productive workplace habits, and engage in learning experiences that strengthen their social, civic, and leadership skills.

By participating in structured project and work-based opportunities, NYC youth are better prepared for careers of the future.

Ladders for Leaders

Ladders for Leaders is a nationally recognized program that offers outstanding high school and college students the opportunity to participate in paid professional summer internships with leading corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies in New York City. By hiring Ladders for Leaders interns, employers are matched with job-ready applicants that have been vetted and trained. Students undergo a competitive application process, and receive 30 hours of pre-employment training.

Ladders for Leaders is a component of NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program, the nation’s largest summer jobs program.

FutureReadyNYC and Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship

FutureReadyNYC (FRNYC) is a reimagined high school experience where students learn important job skills, get paid work experience, earn early college credit, and get certificates for jobs that pay well and are in demand. Over 15,000 students participate in FutureReadyNYC each school Year. There are six pathways for FRNYC students: Business and Finance, Education, Healthcare, Technology, Human & Social Services (launching in school year 2025-26), and HVAC and Building Decarbonization (launching in school year 2025-26.) To learn more, click here.

Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship (CRMYA) is a multi-year initiative developed in partnership with the NYC Jobs Council and CareerWise New York. Participating schools ensure that students integrate time spent on academics, advanced training, and paid work experience to further develop skills and exposure in their desired career fields. Through this program, participating schools will offer career readiness courses, early college credit courses and apprenticeship opportunities to their students.

College Now for Careers – CUNY

College Now is a free college transition, dual enrollment program for New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) high school students. College Now enables NYCPS high school students to develop academic momentum toward a college degree, make informed choices about college, and learn how their education can lead to a rewarding career. To learn more about College Now, click here.

Exploring Futures

Exploring Futures is a career exploration pilot to enhance middle school students’ awareness of different potential career paths, helping them develop a future-ready mindset with a matching skillset.

Exploring Futures is a collaboration between ExpandEd Schools, NYC DOE Career & Technical Education (CTE), and the Mayor's Office of Youth Employment (MOYE). Using a career exploration curriculum, Exploring Futures combines classroom learning with engaging career exposure opportunities through online activities, employer and college site visits, and more. For more information on Exploring Futures, click  .

Advance & Earn, Train & Earn

Advance & Earn is an innovative training and employment program for young adults between the ages of 16-24. Young adults can develop their career pathways with employer-recognized trainings, earn credentials and certifications, paid internships, and get comprehensive High School Equivalency (HSE) test preparation. To learn more about Advance & Earn, click here.

Train & Earn is a career pathways program that provides comprehensive job training and employment, along with support services needed by participants to find a permanent job, obtain their high school equivalency if applicable, and access postsecondary education and training. To learn more about Train & Earn, click here.