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New York City Must Support Its Immigrant Population to Ensure a Successful Workforce

Commentary/Op-Ed - April 2016

New York City Must Support Its Immigrant Population to Ensure a Successful Workforce

In this City & State op-ed, CUF's Christian González-Rivera and CPD's Kate Hamaji argue that Career Pathways—New York City's new framework for its workforce development system—doesn't address the unique workforce challenges faced by the city's immigrant population. They lay out several steps that policymakers could take to better incorporate immigrants into the new workforce development strategy.

by Kate Hamaji and Christian González-Rivera

Tags: economic opportunity workforce development low income immigrants

Career Pathways, New York City's new framework for its workforce development system, promises to dedicate an unprecedented level of investment in job training and education for the city’s most vulnerable workers; ensure that the city’s investments in workforce development are aligned across city agencies, and work with employers and other stakeholders to improve the quality of the city’s lowest-paid jobs.

However, a report co-authored by the Center for an Urban Future (CUF) and the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) found that the city's plan did not sufficiently take into account the unique workforce challenges faced by New York’s immigrant population. In this City & State op-ed, CUF's Christian González-Rivera and CPD's Kate Hamaji lay out several steps that policymakers could take to better incorporate immigrant workers into the city's workforce development strategy.

Click here to read the op-ed.

Click here to read A City of Immigrants: Building a Workforce Strategy to Support All New Yorkers.

The study was made possible through the generous support of the Ford Foundation and the New York Foundation.

General operating support for Center for an Urban Future has been provided by the Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation, the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation and the M&T Charitable Foundation.

Center for an Urban Future (CUF) is a catalyst for smart and sustainable policies that reduce inequality, increase economic mobility and grow the economy in New York City. An independent, nonpartisan policy organization, CUF uses fact-based research to elevate important and often overlooked issues onto the radar of policymakers and advance practical solutions that strengthen New York and help all New Yorkers participate in the city’s rising prosperity.