Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2009
Will Low-Skilled Workers Benefit from Economic Recovery?In this commentary for The Huffington Post, CUF's David Jason Fischer and Brandon Roberts of the Working Poor Families Project sound the warning that low-skilled workersalready bearing the brunt of the recessionmay find themselves left behind as an economic recovery takes hold.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2009
Job Training: Often Misunderstood But Too Important to DismissIn this commentary for The Huffington Post on behalf of the Working Poor Families Project, CUF's David Jason Fischer and the WPFP's Brandon Roberts examine some of the misperceptions and realities around job training in the United States today.
Commentary/Op-Ed - May 2009
Q&A with Anthony Carnevale, Director, Georgetown University Center on Education and the WorkforceAs part of our series of Q&As with innovators, entrepreneurs and policy experts, the Center's David Jason Fischer interviews Anthony Carnevale, former chair of the National Commission on Employment Policy, about the changing labor market, the future of vocational education and the impact of the recession on New York City.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2009
Working Toward A Workforce SystemAs the U.S. faces the worst economic crisis in decades, New York City is set to receive about $70 million in federal stimulus money for job training and employment services. This Off the CUF commentary evaluates the city's plans for the money and concludes that the influx of federal dollars could serve as the catalyst for positive changes to New York's workforce system that could reverberate long after the recession ends.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2009
Paying Attention to CitiesAfter years of federal policies neglecting urban areas, Barack Obama has sent some encouraging signals that he understands their importance. Certainly, New York could use a helping hand. In this commentary for Gotham Gazette, CUF director Jonathan Bowles lays out some ideas for what the president could do to aid New York. Bowles and CUF deputy director Tara Colton also appeared on WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show to discuss these ideas.
Commentary/Op-Ed - December 2008
Q&A with Eldon Scott, founder of the Union Square Holiday MarketAs part of our series of Q&As with New York City innovators, entrepreneurs and policy experts, the Centers Jonathan Bowles interviews Eldon Scott, who is arguably the person most responsible for creating the city's holiday markets.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2008
An Investment That WorksThis Off the CUF commentary criticizes the Bush administration for sharply cutting funds for workforce development in recent years at a time when developing the skills of workers is increasingly important to the economic fortunes of New York and other cities.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2008
New York Needs An Olympic-Sized Infrastructure InvestmentThis Off the CUF commentary by the president of RPA points out that China is aggressively expanding its urban infrastructure and argues that officials in the U.S. and New York need to do the same.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2008
A Desirable OptionFollowing up on the Center's "Schools That Work" report, this New York Sun opinion column asserts that Mayor Bloomberg's task force on career and technical education has identified the problems facing CTE, but has not offered enough detail in its plans to address them.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2008
Opportunity CostsOur latest Off the CUF commentary criticizes City Hall for slashing the budget of a critical ESOL program at a time when immigrants make up a growing share of the city's workforce and there is a huge unmet need for English language instruction.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2008
Trouble BrewingThis Off the CUF commentary by the co-founder of the Brooklyn Brewery details his firms unsuccessful four-year saga to find new space in the five boroughs and calls on policymakers to provide more support for small manufacturers in the face of gentrification, rezoning of industrial areas and rising real estate prices.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2008
Recipe For GrowthThis Off the CUF commentary urges city economic development officials to support the creation of additional kitchen incubators, which give food entrepreneurs something that's often impossible to find in New York: a licensed commercial kitchen at affordable rates.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2008
Q&A with Matthew Goldstein, chancellor of CUNYAs part of our series of Q&As with New York City innovators, entrepreneurs and policy experts, the Center's Jonathan Bowles interviews Matthew Goldstein about CUNY's recent accomplishments, the universitys role in the city's changing economy and Governor Spitzer's new higher education initiatives.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2008
Q&A with Cathie Mahon, head of the citys Office of Financial EmpowermentAs part of our series of Q&As with New York City innovators, entrepreneurs and policy experts, the Center's Jonathan Bowles interviews Cathie Mahon about Mayor Bloomberg's new anti-poverty initiatives and what her office is doing to help low income New Yorkers open banking accounts, build savings and avoid costly fees for basic financial transactions.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2008
Q&A with Blake Walters Foote, head of NYCs Workforce Investment BoardAs part of our series of Q&As with New York City innovators, entrepreneurs and policy experts, the Center's David Fischer sits down with Blake Walters Foote to discuss the WIBs priorities and the future of workforce development in New York.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2008
Something To Build OnThe Mayors Commission on Construction Opportunity has produced promising early results in bringing women and non-whites into the citys construction workforce. But will the changes prove lasting, or merely cosmetic?
Commentary/Op-Ed - December 2007
Immigrants Would Thrive With More English ClassesIn this op/ed for Newsday, the Center's Tara Colton argues that the growing unmet demand for English-language instruction could have dire economic consequences for Long Island.
Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2007
Recapturing Suburban ShoppersThis policy brief shows that ethnic retail strips from Jackson Heights to Richmond Hill are attracting hordes of suburban shoppersand having a big impact on the citys economy.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2007
Too Few Jobs For YouthNew York City's Summer Youth Employment Program recently completed another successful summer--but, as CUF notes in this recent Gotham Gazette op-ed, it's still reaching too few of the city's teens.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2007
Libraries, An Invaluable Resource for ImmigrantsIn this op-ed for El Diario/La Prensa, CUF Director Jonathan Bowles argues that the restoration of six day a week service at the city's public libraries is a huge victory for immigrants, children, seniors and working adults.
