NYC Teams up with Rockefeller Foundation For “Career Lift” 1.5 Million Partnership

This week, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $1.5 million new initiative, “CareerLift,” driven by JobsFirstNYC, NYC Center for Youth Employment, and Social Finance. Supported by an $850,000 grant from The Rockefeller Foundation, the pilot aims to grow targeted opportunities for formerly out-of-school and out-of-work young adults to help them stay employed and advance in their careers. This partnership will support vulnerable youth by working with private-sector employers to help reduce employee turnover rates and improve productivity. This project will also evaluate the feasibility of a “Pay for Success” model, in which employers assume the cost of job retention services only if proven successful — a first-of-its-kind funding model in the U.S. for employment retention services.

“Investing in the success of our emerging workforce is essential to a thriving local economy,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “Through CareerLift, we’re helping our young people succeed in the private sector. It’s a win for them, it’s a win for employers and it’s a win for New York City.”

The program will be implemented by two nonprofit workforce development organizations: Seedco—supported in part through a $150,000 grant from The Pinkerton Foundation—and Madison Strategies Group, as well Q Services, the employer partnering with Madison Strategies to place young adults in office service jobs. Seedco will work with a number of food service employers to place young adults in jobs. In addition to testing the feasibility of the model, funding will support staff from the provider organizations to help workers and employers address challenges, from housing and transportation to healthcare and workplace conflicts that might otherwise lead to losing their jobs.