NEW YORK (PIX11) — Training people for tech jobs is big business in the region.
Some New York lawmakers want to give adults more opportunities to pursue career paths.
Erica Stevens, now a software engineer, says the training was life-changing: She was searching for education and training programs when she came across Pursuit, a nonprofit job-training program in Long Island City.
“I encourage everyone to give it a try, I think you’ll love it and the barrier to entry isn’t as great as you might think,” Stevens said.
Pursuit and other training programs aimed at low-income New Yorkers are models for proposed new legislation in New York state.
The duration of the training is about one year. There are usually no educational requirements for training. Training and job placement also form a big part of the training plan.
In many cases, there’s no upfront cost: once someone is hired and receives a certain salary, the employee pays back a certain percentage.
Jukei Suh, a Queens native, co-founded Pursuit in 2011 after serving in the military.
“It starts with training to get the skills and network needed for the job, and then you work with employers to get the job,” he said.
Marjorie Velazquez is vice president of policy at Tech:NYC.
“It’s basically combining talent with tools. These are high-paying jobs for working families,” Velazquez said.
Three state lawmakers spoke about the proposal outside Pursuit’s headquarters on Friday, saying the bill could provide more training and options for people seeking careers in tech.
It would also create a $100 million fund for more training for people who meet the income threshold, and program administrators would work with approved providers.
“There are a lot of education programs out there that have tuition and debt and no guarantee of a job. This is revolutionary,” said Sen. Michael Gianaris, D-Queens.
Giannaris Deputy Leader, Rep. Nilly Rosiech and Sen. Leroy Comrie introduced the bill and hope it will move forward before the session ends in Albany in two weeks.
