Testimony - June 2018
Protecting NYC Students from Poorly Performing For-Profit CollegesIn this testimony before the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, Matt Chaban, CUF's policy director, details how many for-profit colleges in the state leave students with a little education and huge debts they struggle to repay because they did not receive the education they were promised.
Report - June 2018
State of Work: The Coming Impact of Automation on New YorkMillions of jobs in New York State will feel the effects of automation in the coming decades. These jobs are not necessarily disappearing, but they are transforming, as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced robotics tackle more roles in the workplace. Policymakers should act now to help New Yorkers prepare for the changes that are coming to the world of work.
Report - June 2018
New York City’s Libraries Still Face Daunting Capital NeedsNew York City is making progress in strengthening the condition of its branch libraries, but the latest capital needs figures reveal that there is still much more work to be done. The mayor and the City Council should continue what they've started and fully fund the city's three library systems to bring their aging infrastructure to a state of good repair.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2018
Op-Ed: NYC Should Fund Community College Metro CardsWhile the City Council's Fair Fares Plan would undoubtedly provide a much-needed boost to tens of thousands of New Yorkers who are barely scraping by, it remains in legislative limbo. As a practical alternative, New York can start by making MetroCards free for the city’s community college students.
Commentary/Op-Ed - May 2018
Op-Ed: NYC Tourism Industry Deserves Credit For Major Job GrowthOver the past two decades, tourism in New York City has swelled from 33 million to nearly 63 million annual visitors. The city should make concrete efforts that recognize tourism’s role in the region’s economy, and plan to sustain it.
Report - May 2018
Destination New YorkOver the past two decades, tourism to New York City has swelled from 33 million to nearly 63 million annual visitors, with powerful ripples throughout the city’s economy. Once just one sector among many, tourism has risen to become one of the top four employment drivers in the city. But the city needs to plan ahead to sustain the current level of tourism and the jobs it has created.
Report - May 2018
New York By DesignAs NYCxDESIGN kicks off, new data shows New York City leading the way in architecture and design jobs. One in two of the architecture and design jobs gained nationwide is in the five boroughs.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2018
Op-Ed: Protecting New York State’s For-Profit College StudentsFar too many graduates of New York State’s for-profit colleges end up stuck in low-wage jobs and saddled with debt that they can't afford, while taxpayers are left footing the bill. The State Legislature and Governor Cuomo have the power to change this by implementing statewide standards to ensure that crucial investments in higher education result in real economic mobility for students.
Report - April 2018
Keeping New York’s For-Profit Colleges on TrackFar too many graduates of New York State’s for-profit colleges end up stuck in low-wage jobs and saddled with debt that they can't afford. The State Legislature and Governor Cuomo have the power to change this by implementing statewide standards to ensure that crucial investments in higher education result in real economic gains for all students.
Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2018
From Dream Machine to Job Machine: Expanding Academic Certificates at CUNY’s Community CollegesCUNY's innovative college success programs are helping more students earn a degree—and with it, a shot at economic opportunity. But when nearly 80 percent of students at CUNY community colleges fail to earn an associate’s degree in three years, it's time to consider additional options. Expanding academic certificate programs should be part of the solution.
Report - March 2018
Opportunity Knocks: Boosting State Investment in New York’s Workforce Development SystemGovernor Cuomo has proposed to invest $175 million in workforce training initiatives. It is vital that policymakers fully support this new statewide investment, and to ensure that these investments are as far-reaching and effective as possible, the study proposes including an increase in resources for adult basic education, ramped-up bridge programs, and accountability through better data.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2018
Op-Ed: Bridge programs get big results, but little supportNew York’s bridge programs serve nowhere near the number of adults who would benefit from them. New York State should make investing in bridge programs part of its proposed $175 million workforce development plan.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2018
Op-Ed: Sustaining the Caregiving Workforce for New York’s Aging FutureNew York City is facing an impending healthcare crisis. An imminent shortage of home care workers and supportive services threatens to erode the quality of life, safety, and health of older New Yorkers and their families.The state should take the lead to ensure that families have affordable, quality options for protecting the health and safety of older adults.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2018
Weather Emergencies and Emergency RoomsDuring severe weather, getting around New York City can be all but impossible. Yet these moments are also the times when doctors, nurses, home health aids, and other medical professionals are most desperately needed. Given the unique challenges storms present, we wanted to share that story here, which ran as a sidebar in our report, An Unhealthy Commute.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2018
Op-Ed: NYC’s New Schools Chancellor Should Make College Success MatterIt’s a rare moment when the city’s attention is focused on what it takes to lead the city’s schools. Yet the most important item on the next chancellor’s to-do list is hardly being discussed: preparing vastly more students to succeed in college.
Testimony - February 2018
Fixing Healthcare Workers Commutes Can Improve Transit for All New YorkersIn this testimony before the MTA's Transit and Bus Committee, CUF policy director, Matt Chaban shares findings from a recent report on how healthcare workers have the worst public transit commutes of any New Yorkers, as well as ways the MTA can not only improve transportation for them but millions of other lower-income New Yorkers, as well.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2018
Op-Ed: The Transit Crisis Without a Rescue PlanEven as the subways reach the breaking point, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers face an additional commuting crisis: the lack of fast, reliable transit service in huge swaths of the boroughs outside Manhattan. No industry has felt the effects of these punishing commutes more than the city's healthcare sector.
Report - January 2018
An Unhealthy Commute: The Transit Challenges Facing New York City’s Healthcare SectorSubway and bus service in the four boroughs outside Manhattan has not kept pace with massive increases in the number of healthcare employees living and working there. By partnering with hospitals and other health providers, New York City can develop solutions befitting the city’s world-class healthcare system and ensure that this critical source of employment and opportunity can continue to grow.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2018
Op-Ed: How To Prepare New Yorkers to Benefit from AmazonMany New Yorkers are worried that a new home base for the world’s largest internet company would be more burden than boon. But a bold proposal to land 50,000 good jobs deserves an equally ambitious plan to invest in the city’s workforce. New York should want Amazon’s jobs, while ensuring more New Yorkers get them.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2018
Op-Ed: Taking on Rochester’s College Success ProblemGraduation rates are alarmingly low at community colleges in Rochester and surrounding counties, and they are making very little progress. College leaders are already developing new models to support student success, but they need state backing to scale up their best ideas.
