Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2007
Branching OutThis Off the CUF essay argues that the decision to restore six day a week library service is a landmark achievement that will boost the competitiveness of New Yorks workforce.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2007
Immigrant Entrepreneurs on Staten IslandIn this op-ed in Staten Island Business Trends, CUF director Jonathan Bowles argues that Staten Islands growing immigrant population could be a catalyst for the boroughs economy in the years ahead.
Report - August 2007
A Bumpy RideThis new report finds that cultural trolleys hold promise in raising the profile of arts institutions outside of Manhattan, but a lack of marketing funds and operational challenges means most trolley programs have not yet boosted attendance at local cultural venues.
Report - August 2007
Working to Learn, Learning to WorkThis new report by the Center and the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy documents the critical importance to New York's economy of expanding college attendance among working adults, and finds that the rate at which adults attend college has fallen sharply.
Report - June 2007
Work in ProgressThis report finds that four years after Mayor Bloomberg moved to remake workforce development in NYC, much has been accomplished, but even more remains to be done.
Report - June 2007
Summer HelpThis report finds that NYCs Summer Youth Employment Program will serve 21 percent fewer young people this summer than in 1999, a troubling decline since the citys teen employment rate is half the national average.
Testimony - May 2007
Meeting Demand for ESOL in NYCIn this testimony before a City Council hearing prompted by the Center's 2006 report, "Lost in Translation," associate research director Tara Colton lays out steps the city can take to address the enormous unmet demand for ESOL classes.
Report - April 2007
Staten Island 2020This new report shows that New Yorks fastest-growing borough faces serious economic and infrastructure challenges, from an exodus of young people to stubbornly high vacancy rates in the boroughs office buildings.
Testimony - February 2007
In Working OrderAt a City Council hearing on the state of NYC's workforce development system, CUF Project Director David Fischer testified that the Bloomberg administration has made great strides but needs more resources and a broader vision.
Report - February 2007
A Thousand CutsThis new report by the Center and NYATEP finds that now more than ever, New York needs a strong workforce development system -- but declining funds and uncoordinated programs are obstacles to progress.
Report - February 2007
A World of OpportunityThis new report by the Center documents that immigrant entrepreneurs have emerged as a key engine of economic growth for cities from New York to Los Angeles--and, with the right support, could provide an even bigger boost to these cities in the years ahead.
Report - February 2007
Cause for DistressThis report reveals that thousands of housing units across the county are being lost to foreclosure and disrepair, and offers strategies for protecting this stock of distressed housing.
Commentary/Op-Ed - December 2006
Help More Immigrants Learn EnglishIn an op/ed in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, CUF Associate Research Director Tara Colton highlights the tremendous need for English language instruction throughout New York State and urges business leaders and elected officials to step up their support for ESOL programs.
Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2006
Q&A with NYC-based video game developer Eric ZimmermanNew York is a global creative hub, home to an unmatched number of creative people and scores of businesses in industries from film to advertising. But where does the city stand when it comes to the video game industry, one of the nations fastest growing creative fields? To find out, read the Centers latest Q&A, with Eric Zimmerman, CEO and co-founder of Tribeca-based Gamelab, the city's largest game development studio.
Report - November 2006
Lost in TranslationThis new report finds that while immigrants have become a growing part of the workforce in nearly every corner of New York State, the state-run English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program has not come close to keeping pace with the demand, creating a skills gap that could hurt the state's economic competitiveness.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2006
The Many Faces of Poverty: Disconnected YouthCUF project director David Fischer weighs in on the recent report by the Mayor's Commission on Economic Opportunity with this short overview in Gotham Gazette about New York City's disconnected youth: who they are, what they need and why they are important to New York City's economic future.
Testimony - September 2006
From Disconnected to Career-DirectedAt the NYC Workforce Investment Board meeting on Sept. 13, CUF Project Director David Fischer made this presentation on aging worker replacement and career opportunities for disconnected youth in several vital sectors of the city's economy.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2006
Q&A with Coney Island entrepreneur Dianna CarlinIn the Center's latest Q&A with business leaders and policy experts from around the five boroughs, CUF director Jonathan Bowles interviews Dianna Carlin, founder of Lola Staar, an eclectic boutique with locations on Coney Island's boardwalk and in the base of the Cyclone roller coaster. Read what Carlin has to say about the changes proposed for Coney Island and some of the surprising obstacles she's faced as an entrepreneur in the neighborhood.
Report - August 2006
Rethinking New York’s Street FairsIn this policy brief, the Center documents that city street fairs are dominated by a handful of the same vendors selling bland items like tube socks and t-shirts, and that a surprisingly high percentage of vendors are based outside of the city. It calls on the city to make the fairs less generic.
Testimony - June 2006
A New Workforce for New York: How the City Can Replace Thousands of Retiring Baby BoomersAt a City Council hearing prompted by the Center's May 2006 report, "Chance of a Lifetime," project director David Jason Fischer testified about what the city must do to prepare at-risk young New Yorkers for the world of work, and the value of a youth-focused workforce intermediary to rationalize and coordinate these efforts.
