Thanksgiving Edition Resources

On this Thanksgiving day, we'd like to express our appreciation for all the organizations and dedicated individuals in New York City that work tirelessly on behalf of disadvantaged youth. 

Below are a few recent announcements that might be of use to practitioners:

• The New York City Employment and Training Coalition' Annual Summit will take place on December 2. Visit: www.nycetc.org to register.

• Protect Your Money: Know Before You Enroll Campaign.  New York City's Office of Financial Empowerment has launched a new campaign -- Protect Your Money: Know Before You Enroll -- to educate New Yorkers about predatory school scams and highlighting free and low-cost school choices. This is very welcome and important news for young people considering enrolling into college.

 

• Article 23-A Hiring Guide for NYC Employers Released.  The Doe Fund has released a guide to the little known and often misunderstood Article-23A New York State law that regulates how employers consider job applicants who have criminal records.  Written for employers, How To Comply With Article 23-A When Hiring (PDF) explains in clear language what employers may and may not ask about criminal histories, the factors they must weigh in deciding whether the criminal record merits exclusion from a job, and protections provided to employers who follow the law.  This publication was put together with financial support from The Doe Fund, and the contributions of many industry experts.   

 JobsFirst NYC wishes everyone a happy, healthy and joyful Thanksgiving! 

Read All About It: Highlights from the Fall 2011 CBO Network Meeting

 Highlights from the Fall 2011 CBO Network Meeting 

On October 25, the JobsFirstNYC CBO Network reconvened at the Door in Manhattan. This was a great event, and since the information was so helpful, we are sharing what was included to our full network for those that could not attend that day. 

John Twomey, the Executive Director of NYATEP, joined us to provide an update on what is happening on the policy front concerning policies specific to young adults and workforce issues, and notably highlighted some of the challenges we are all facing in terms of both the in school and out of school unemployed young adult population in New York City. Of note, he referenced a recent report from McKinsey and Company that highlights some of these challenges in terms of building a globally competitive workforce in the near and longer-term. He also provided some thoughts on the current state of the American Jobs Act (and the implications of this act on out of school/work younger adults) and also provided some concrete next steps for people to consider in terms of advocating for this vulnerable and evolving group of young people. You can download John's presentation here (PDF). 

Jonathan Bowles of Center for an Urban Future (CUF), along with consultants Margaret Stix and Glenn Von Nostitz presented preliminary findings regarding what we are currently calling "Second Chance of a Life Time" (working title). JobsFirstNYC has commissioned CUF to reprise the 2006 Chance of a Lifetime publication in order to take a closer look at where there may be employment opportunities in the near-term and future economy for young adults. This report, which will focus on specific occupations, not necessarily sectors, will unearth some interesting, even counter-intuitive ideas about where young people today can prepare for meaningful and competitive jobs in tomorrow - especially where there may be continued growth and demand specific to the featured occupations. We hope that this report will released before the conclusion of the 2011 calendar year; stay tuned for more details. 

Bettina Damiani of Good Jobs New York (GJNY) presented ideas (PDF) on how tax subsidy and industrial development subsidy information can be effectively leveraged to assist workforce practitioners to both prospect for jobs and to engage businesses that are new to specific neighborhoods in the City. For many years, the publication of subsidy information seemed to be a best-kept secret, but due to the great advocacy work of GJNY, this information has been made much more understandable and usable by the public through the GJNY subsidy snapshots -- listings of subsidies by community boards throughout the city.  Bettina also shared helpful tools they have developed or rely upon:

• Sign up for our monthly subsidy alert (learn about public hearing
  opportunities): www.goodjobsny.org

• Learn about how subsidies from the Industrial Development Agency are allocated in your community with our Subsidy Snapshots:
  www.goodjobsny.org/resources-tools/subsidy-snapshots 

• Get details on subsidy recipients in our Database of Deals:
  www.goodjobsny.org/subsidy-database 

• Read about subsidy accountability on our blog: www.clawback.org 

• New York Industrial Development Agency:
  http://www.nycedc.com/FinancingIncentives/NYCIDA/Pages/NYCIDA.aspx

If you missed this event but wanted to see the agenda, you can get it here.  For more information, please contact Gwen Hill.  

The next CBO Network Meeting will take place on January 31, 2012 from 9-11:30, so save the date/time; location and other details to follow.

Shadow Work, Or the Rise of the Machines

"Remains Of Ancient Race Of Job Creators Found In Rust Belt" recently proclaimed the headline on the ever trenchant The Onion website.  The article described the ruins of America's industrial heartland as if they were the remains of an ancient civilization that, amazingly, once provided high paying jobs to all its inhabitants.

As to how the ancient cities of employment fell into ruin, scholars have argued the job creators may have exhausted their resources or, perhaps, been killed off by a competing race of foreign job creators.

"The remaining local population has its own mythology to explain the job-creating race's disappearance," Decker said. "Legend has it that they never died out, but rather entered a state of deep slumber from which they will one day awaken, bringing increased employment with them."

"And perhaps it's best to let the locals hold on to this belief," Decker added. "It's really the only thing they have left."

The bittersweet humor, of course, comes from the fact that America's manufacturing prowess led the world until just a generation ago when a combination of forces -- industrial automation, cheaper foreign goods, the stagnating competitiveness of American companies, anti-unionism, free trade agreements, stricter environmental regulations, etc. -- caused millions of blue collar jobs to disappear.  In the wake of deindustrialization, workers at the bottom of the labor ladder have seen their opportunities for living wage employment shrink dramatically.    

Alarmingly, the forces that decimated American manufacturing are now working their way through white collar jobs as well.

Technology, of course, has been eliminating service jobs for years.  Americans now do increasingly amounts of unpaid "shadow work," a term coined by the Austrian philosopher and social critic Ivan Illich, in their day-to-day activities that once would have been handled by actual workers.  ATMs have reduced the need for bank tellers; word processors replaced stenographers; self-service checkout lines have displaced cashiers and baggers at brick-and-mortar stores; travel websites and airport check-in kiosks have reduced the number of agents needed; DVD rental by mail has eliminated video stores altogether.  We accept this shifting of responsibility because it often leads to lower costs or greater convenience. 

But as the pace of technology improves, the range of jobs being eliminated has exploded.  In their new book, Race Against the Machine: How the Digital Revolution is Accelerating Innovation, Driving Productivity, and Irreversibly Transforming Employment and the Economy (2011), MIT researchers Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew P. McAfee examine technology’s role in the jobless recovery over the past two years.  They note that rapidly growing productivity among American workers and record corporate profits in 2010 and 2011 have failed to translate into new job; instead, companies increased spending on equipment and software by 26 percent since 2009.

With increasingly sophisticated software able to perform tasks once thought to be distinctively human -- such as understanding speech, translating from one language to another and recognizing patterns --  automation is rapidly eliminating jobs in call centers, marketing and sales.  As the capabilities of computers increase, almost no industry will be immune.  With Google's robotic cars now logging thousands of miles each year unassisted, the days of that quintessentially human occupation of truck driving may be numbered.

In short, virtually any "process" job that involves repetitive steps is likely to disappear eventually.  The key to success in this new environment, the authors argue, is to focus on jobs that require intuition and creativity — traits that computers perform poorly.  Whether the US education system is up for preparing students to tap those necessary skills is a topic for another blog entry . . . .

Upcoming JFNYC Events!

JobsFirstNYC CBO Network Meeting on October 25

The next CBO Network meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 25th from 9-11:30 a.m. at The Door. This meeting has a full agenda, including an update from John Twomey of NYATEP regarding the progress of the American Jobs Act, an overview of a forthcoming JobsFirstNYC - commissioned publication by Jonathan Bowles of Center for an Urban Future, and a discussion about how to leverage information regarding business subsidies and tax incentives in an overall employer engagement/job prospecting effort by Bettina Damiani of Good Jobs New York. Click here to download a copy of the agenda (PDF). Click here to register for this event. You'll also get to meet Evelyn Fernandez-Ketcham in her new role as Deputy Executive Director for JobsFirstNYC. She begins her work at JobsFirstNYC in November. We hope you can join us!

JobsFirstNYC to co-host Job Development Networking Event with WPTI on November 1

Based on the resounding success of our inaugural Job Development Networking Event this past July, we are making these breakfast events a standard. This next event, focusing on "closing the sale", will feature a guest presentation by Walter Reyes, who in his recent work at Goodwill Industries, led their staff training and human resource development work. This will be a great opportunity to meet and network with colleagues and to consider strategies in overcoming employer concerns in the engagement process. This event will take place at Aloft Brooklyn from 8:15-10:30 a.m. on November 1st. Click here to download a copy of the flyer (PDF). Click here to register for this event.

Participate in Upcoming JobsFirstNYC Practitioner Work Groups

The Criminal Justice and Employing Young Adults Task Force meets Friday, October 21, 9-11 a.m. WPTI will host. This is a work group with a specific action-item agenda. While newcomers are welcome, the meeting will be dedicated to standing/existing business. If you're already on the task force, you will receive an agenda and calendar invite directly. To learn more, contact Lou at lmiceli@jobsfirstnyc.org. The Employer Engagement Work Group will take place Friday, October 28, 9-11. OBT will host. This work group will focus on employer engagement best practices, and will include an overview of the work of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow along with a brief tour of their Bushwick program. A separate e-vite will go out regarding this meeting shortly. If you wish to learn more, contact Lou at lmiceli@jobsfirstnyc.org. Stay tuned for the next Connecting Young Adults with Basic Skills to the Labor Market Work Group date, to be sent shortly.

Save the Date: The Next Meet the Employers Event - Focusing on the Hospitality Sector - takes place December 8

Based on the success of our first meeting (that focused on the health care sector) in September, we're offering another program and another chance to connect with employers on December 8th. Like the first event, this will be a mini-practicum for practitioners, whether you are a front line worker or a senior staff, there are clear benefits and take-aways from this program, which will focus on: Higher-level labor market information in the sector, perspectives from hiring executives in key industries, and then hands-on work with employers and with your colleagues in facilitated break-out sessions focusing on resources, new strategies, and best practices. If you missed the September meeting but want to get the materials we shared with participants, contact Lou at lmiceli@jobsfirstnyc.org.

Bridging the Digital Divide in New York City

"Broadband access is increasingly a requirement of socio-economic inclusion, not an outcome of it."  

Social Science Research Council, 2010 

The recent announcement of Comcast's Internet Essentials program -- providing low-cost computers, Internet service, and digital literacy training to families who qualify for free lunches at public schools -- started us wondering what affordable options exist for New York City's young people.

The "digital divide" -- discrepancies in who has high speed Internet connections (generally defined as greater than 10 megabit-per-second download capacity) and the knowledge to effectively use digital tools -- remains a significant problem in the United States.  Fast and convenient access to the vast resources of the Internet -- the employment listings and job applications, health information, government benefits, education resources, financial and communication tools, lower cost retail options, up-to-the-minute news, and a thousand other uses -- ease daily tasks and contribute to economic progress. 

Hard numbers on broadband usage in New York City are difficult to find, but the Pew Research Center last year found that nearly 90% of households nationally with earnings of over $75,000 had broadband access in the home, compared to less than 40% of households earning under $30,000.  The situation is especially difficult for minorities, who are statistically more likely to use their cell phones to access the Internet; the devices' small size makes them more suited to entertainment and casual communication than, for example, filling out an online job application.

Comcast's service area does not include New York City, so Gotham residents are not eligible for the Internet Essentials program.  Unfortunately, the city's recently renewed franchise agreement with Time-Warner Cable and Cablevision, which gives the two companies exclusive rights to provide cable service through 2020, does not mandate a subsidized residential service.  It does, however, include an estimated $60 million worth of public benefits such as:

• Creation of 40 public computing centers across the city to provide free broadband access to low-income communities
• Free commercial-grade Internet service to all public libraries in Cablevision’s service area
• Wi-Fi capabilities in 32 parks that includes 30 minutes per month free for all users with a 99 cent per day fee thereafter

Such shared facilities, however, rarely have the capacity to provide extended computer time to each patron, limiting their usefulness.

The NYC Connected Learning project is using over $20 million of federal money to provide computer training, desktop computers, educational software, and free broadband access for one year to more than 18,000 low-income sixth-graders and their families in 100 high-need public middle schools.   Non-profits like CFY and Per Scholas have a primary mission to bring technology to low-income individuals, while scores of other organizations and libraries provide at least some no-cost computer training.  And, of course, TechSoup connects qualified non-profits with technology information and deeply discounted software.

Generation Recession, redux

Our pre-Labor Day post focused on the impact of the current economic malaise on young people.  Now a new study by University of Chicago economist Casey B. Mulligan sheds more light on just how much the youngest workers have suffered (bold added for emphasis):

Using data from the Census Bureau’s Household Survey via the National Bureau of Economic Research, I calculated the average hours worked by age for 2007 (people not working during the week of the survey count as zero hours worked) and then again for 2010. The chart below displays each age group’s percentage change from 2007 to 2010. For example, the chart shows that the average 16-year-old in 2010 worked 40 percent fewer hours than the average 16-year-old did in 2007.

But the chart also shows that labor losses lessen with age and are positive for a number of age groups. In percentage terms, work hours fell the most for teenagers, reflecting the high teenage unemployment rate. After the teenagers, work hours fell the most for the age groups 20 to 29. Work-hours losses for groups in their 30s and 40s ranged 5 to 11 percent. Work hours also fell for age groups 50 to 59, but typically less in percentage terms than for the age groups aged less than 50.

Fewer work hours translates into significant loss of income.  New census data indicates that the earnings of young people have taken the biggest hit of any age group in the downturn, falling over 15% between 2007 to 2010.

Reflecting these woes comes news that the number of Americans living below the poverty line has reached the highest level in the 52 years that the Census Bureau has been collecting information.  (Even these figures may underestimate the true extent of poverty in the US.)  The impact has been felt most by those at the bottom of the economic chain:

“We’re risking a new underclass,” said Timothy Smeeding, director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

“Young, less-educated adults, mainly men, can’t support their children and form stable families because they are jobless,” he added.

But even the period of economic growth that came before the recession did little for the middle and bottom wage earners.

Arloc Sherman, a senior researcher at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said that the period from 2001 to 2007 was the first recovery on record where the level of poverty was deeper, and median income of working-age people was lower, at the end than at the beginning.   

Tough times, indeed, for today's youth.

How will Obama's American Jobs Act impact New York's Youth?

The American Jobs Act that President Obama introduced to Congress on September 8th incorporates a number of provisions that would directly impact New York's youth (PDF).  These include:

• A $25 billion investment in school infrastructure that will presumably create better learning environments and enhanced student performance in future years. New York will receive $2,020,000,000 in funding to support as many as 26,300 jobs.

• $5 billion of investments for facilities modernization needs at community colleges, where much of the training for growing occupations takes place. New York could receive $235,300,000 in funding in the next fiscal year for its community colleges.

• A new Pathways Back to Work Fund to provide hundreds of thousands of low-income youth and adults with opportunities to work and to achieve needed training in growth industries. Pathways Back to Work could place 7,900 adults and 31,600 youths in jobs in New York.

It remains to be seen, of course, how much of Obama's proposal will actually be enacted into law.   (Republicans reception so far has been chilly, and even some Democrats are worrying about the political impact of a large stimulus bill.)

For more information on the impact of the plan, see the official White House page and this Freakonomics quick take.