On March 11, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $2 million investment to expand CUNY’s Associates of Applied Science College Apprenticeship program and grow the number of apprenticeship opportunities for students.

This investment would allow CUNY, in partnership with the New York Jobs CEO Council, to expand its network of employers to include companies such as Bloomberg, Travelers and Northwell Health, which increases the amount of paid apprenticeship opportunities geared toward students seeking associate degrees.

These apprenticeships will be available at the seven CUNY community colleges: College of Staten Island, Medgar Evers College and New York City College of Technology, all of which offer Associate of Applied Sciences degrees.

Participating students will be allowed to earn nine credits, while being employed for one or two semesters by a partner company.

Upon completion of the apprenticeship, the goal is for successful apprentices to gain full-time employment at the company.

The investment is a significant expansion in the number of apprenticeships offered in New York City, building on the $2 million investment made by the governor last year to add 12 apprenticeship programs at CUNY colleges offering associate degrees, for the 2023- 2024 academic year.

“Apprenticeships are a critical tool for many, offering students the chance to start their careers while they pursue a degree,” Hochul said. “Through this $2 million expansion, we’re opening up more apprenticeship opportunities for CUNY students and preparing the next generation of New Yorkers to secure good-paying jobs right here in our state.”

“We have already seen just how impactful an apprenticeship can be for a young person pursuing a two- year degree, and so it is only right that we offer even more of these opportunities for our students,” CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez said. “As a paid pathway to a job with a major employer, apprenticeships can be a direct on- ramp to where they want to work after college. This latest expansion is part of CUNY’s efforts to better connect our students to the world of work and advance our strategic goals to lift New York.”

The Jobs CEO Council is committed to creating 100,000 jobs for low-income New Yorkers by 2030. It also aims to create at least 25,000 jobs and apprenticeships for CUNY students.

The New York Jobs Council has continued to work closely with CUNY colleges to “embed credit-bearing and paid apprenticeships into associate degree programs in technology and business tracks, and create pathways into family-sustaining jobs at partner companies,” the Borough of Manhattan Community College reported.

“As the New York Jobs CEO Council, our member companies are committed to removing barriers to entry-level roles,” New York Jobs CEO Council Executive Director Kiersten Barnet said. “Companies like Bloomberg, Travelers, and Northwell Health believe that the apprenticeship models create equitable access to high-paying roles, whilst supporting their early career hiring strategy.”

Through continued investment and expansion of the apprenticeship programs, the city aims to help students develop industry and market skills, thus closing the skill and employment gap in New York state.