Treyger Secures Millions For Southern Brooklyn Schools

City Council member Mark Treyger secured $6.6 million in funding for southern Brooklyn schools to upgrade their Career Technical Education (CTE) program in fiscal year 2017, according to a press release from Tryger’s office.

William E. Grady Career Technical Education High School in Brighton Beach will receive $1 million to upgrade their culinary program. John Dewey High School in Gravesend will $2.1 million to go towards their culinary program, according to the press release.

“This funding will enable us to design and implement a state of the art culinary program that will prepare our students for college and innovative, rigorous, high quality careers in the industries of culinary arts, hospitality and tourism,” said Connie Hamilton, the principal of John Dewey High School.

The culinary and restaurant industry is an ever-expanding sector of the economy, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 200,000 more line cooks and chefs will be needed in the workforce by 2025, according to the BLS.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has 2016 pegged to be the sixth consecutive year that the restaurant industry adds 300,000 new jobs. The NRA also projects that by 2026, 1.7 million new jobs will be added to the country’s workforce by the restaurant industry.

“As a former educator, I am thrilled to secure funding to improve CTE programs at a pair of southern Brooklyn high schools which serve thousands of local students every year,” said Treyger. “The skills learned and opportunities explored through CTE programs help students become familiar with job sectors where labor demand is outpacing the supply of qualified candidates.”

Other local schools in the area will receive $3.5 million to upgrade the schools’ technology, air conditioning systems, and to renovate libraries, bathrooms, auditoriums, playgrounds, and playing fields.