New initiatives to serve over 13,000 young New Yorkers with employment, training, and education support in the face of economic downturn

Accompanying these announcements is a new report by the citywide Disconnected Youth Task Force, entitled Connecting Our Future, which focuses attention on New York City’s population of out-of-school/out-of-work (OSOW) 16 to 24-year-olds. Originally convened in 2019, the Task Force updated its original analysis to account for an expected spike in OSOW as a result of job losses and educational disruptions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. This report will serve as the City’s strategic plan to serve this population.

“The coronavirus pandemic has caused severe disruptions in education as well as the labor market, with New York City’s young people bearing some of the heaviest costs,” said David Fischer, Executive Director of the NYC Center for Youth Employment. “The Task Force report sets out the importance of making sure our youth and young adults remain engaged in school or work, while offering smart and actionable recommendations for both immediate help and long-term reforms to the full system of career readiness.”

Working with the thoughtful team at Center for Youth Employment and Disconnected Youth Task Force, Stislow Design designed a bright and engaging report and resource conveying the cost of opportunity and the projection of the investment employing the prevention and re-engagement strategies therein.

As said by Stanley Richards, Executive Vice President of The Fortune Society, “There is no wiser an investment than investing in the future of our young people. … We have seen, firsthand, the positive impact that education, job training and work can have on those disenfranchised from society.  Connecting Our Future and the initiatives … provide the foundation for a strategic response to engage youth and young adults who are out of school and out of work.  The City has, once again, demonstrated its commitment to address the challenges experienced by this fragile population. Fortune is proud to stand with the Mayor, City leaders and my fellow Task Force Members as we take on this enormous task. This is just the beginning. We all need to lean in harder and support our disconnected youth as they navigate a future made even more uncertain by COVID-19 pandemic.”

Quotes from the Official Website of the City of New York