Sandy Recovery Jobs Now Available Through Coney Island’s Workforce1 Program

A new employment center for low- and middle-income residents of Sandy-impacted areas opened its doors in Coney Island last week.

One hundred free apprenticeship vouchers are now available through the Sandy Recovery Workforce 1 Career Center (1906 Mermaid Avenue), officials announced at a press conference at the Coney Island Library on Thursday.

Formed by a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations, the city’s Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and Counciman Mark Treyger’s office, the new center will connect Sandy-impacted residents to employment with Build it Back contractors, local small businesses, and employers in various sectors citywide.

The initiative is part of the de Blasio administration’s efforts to create an equitable recovery, both physically and economically, in New York’s most hard-hit communities.

“Mayor de Blasio’s drive for a strong and equitable recovery relies on including the people most affected by Hurricane Sandy,” said Amy Peterson, Director, Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery, in a press release. “Today we are connecting residents of these communities with access to pre-apprenticeship training and opportunities for long-term careers in the unionized construction trades, Through Sandy Recovery Workforce1 and Build it Back, we are working with the unions and our contractors to ensure that Sandy impacted residents are working on recovery projects.”

Councilman Mark Treyger also celebrated the launch of the program.

“As we move Sandy recovery forward, it has been a priority of mine to empower local residents with skills and training to play a vital role in the rebuilding of their own neighborhood,” he said. “Today, we are taking one huge step towards making this a reality thanks to the partnership of Director Amy Peterson of NYC Housing Recovery, Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer of NYC SBS, Workforce1, and so many important equal opportunity employment advocacy organizations. I will continue to ensure that as the recovery takes shape, we simultaneously create opportunities of great career paths for interested local residents.”

Officials’ remarks were followed by an information session at the library held by SBS and Build it Back, during which interested applicants were introduced three pre-apprenticeship providers — Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW), NYC District Council of Carpenters BuildingWorks, and The Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills – as well as New York City Helmets to Hardhats, which serves as a conduit for direct entry to the unions for veterans.

The four partners each offer unique services and target different demographics. NEW and Helmets to Hardhats focus on preparing women and veterans, respectively, for careers in the construction trades. NYC District Council of Carpenters BuildingWorks and the Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills focus on engaging low-income communities and creating a diverse workforce. The Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills focuses on providing this opportunity to New York City public high school seniors and will expand its services to provide this opportunity to adult residents of Sandy-impacted areas.

In addition to connecting applicants with these opportunities, the centers can connect Sandy-impacted residents to other jobs and training opportunities.

New Yorkers looking for jobs can log on to www.nyc.gov, which offers a list of all Workforce1 Career Center locations and the opportunity to sign up for the Workforce1 Career Bulletin, a weekly email featuring the latest job openings available through the centers. Job seekers can also find valuable resources online through the Workforce1 Career Blog, and by following Workforce1 on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

If you were impacted by Superstorm Sandy and would like to learn more about Sandy Recovery Workforce1 and Build it Back job opportunities, click here.