Douglas Perry (NYC Talent) on workforce ecosystem and federal policy context
Douglas Perry, Executive Director of NYC Talent, introduces himself and Stephanie Cloakie. He describes the city's workforce ecosystem of 120+ programs across 28 agencies, the federal investment context under Biden's infrastructure laws that motivated the GEEP, and NYC Talent's role in aligning workforce strategy with employer demand.
Good afternoon.
My name is Douglas Perry, and I'm the Executive Director of the New York City Office of Talent and Workforce Development, or NYC Talent.
I'm joined today by Stephanie Cloakie, the Executive Director of our industry partnership for the sustainable infrastructure sector.
Thank you to the members of the New York City Council Committees on Workforce Development and Economic Development, Workforce Development Chair Juan,
and Economic Development Chair Maloney for inviting us to testify today.
And thank you to our colleagues at EDC, Sam Jung and Michelle Lamberti, for your partnership.
NYC Talent's mission is to ensure that the city's workforce system connects New Yorkers to good jobs and helps employers access local talent.
The public workforce ecosystem in New York City is made up of over 120 programs administered by 28 different city agencies and their many contracted providers.
This includes the city's core workforce agencies like the Department of Small Business Services, the Human Resources Administration, the Department of Youth and Community Development, the City University of New York, and New York City Public Schools.
While each of these agencies focuses on its own core mission and service delivery, NYC Talent works across all partners so that the city's workforce development strategy align with job seeker needs, employer demand, and a changing economy.
Investments in sustainability and climate change resiliency have been building for decades, but in 2021 and 2022, former President Biden allocated the largest investment in climate action in U.S.
History by signing the BIPAP.
partisan infrastructure law, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Between the two bills, billions of dollars were allocated to infrastructure projects and numerous tax incentives were developed to encourage electrification, electric vehicle use, clean and renewable energy generation, and energy storage.
In the wake of these planned investments, EDC and NYC Talent developed the Green Economy Action Plan, which, as EDC described, outlined the current and projected size and scope of the green economy in New York City.
And offered actions city stakeholders could take to support the equitable growth of this sector.
Our role in the report's development focused on ensuring that all stakeholders, including our partners in government and in the private sector, are proactively thinking about workforce development as a tool to connect New Yorkers to opportunity.
NYC Talent knows that workforce development services and systems constitute essential opportunity infrastructure that is needed to equitably achieve our climate and economic goals.
And just like physical infrastructure, workforce pathways are not built overnight.
We work closely with ADC to develop this report by informing recommendations, facilitating conversations with industry stakeholders, and helping to identify the good jobs that are key.
To building toward a decarbonized future.