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Mayor de Blasio Announces Opening of New Brooklyn Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Career Center

May 11, 2016

New center connects Southwest Brooklyn residents to comprehensive career services and high-quality employment in industrial and manufacturing sectors

NEW YORK–– Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the expansion of the Jamaica, Queens Workforce1 Career Center with the opening of the new Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Career (ITC) Center at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. The expansion will result in helping another 1,000 New Yorkers find new and better jobs in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

The new Workforce1 ITC Center will connect residents of Southwest Brooklyn to employment opportunities throughout New York City. Currently, the existing Workforce1 Center in Jamaica, Queens serves over 6,000 New Yorkers, nearly 2,000 of which have been connected to high-quality employment. The expansion will help serve an additional 1,000 New Yorkers, offering employment opportunities and candidate and recruitment services.

“This new Workforce1 Center will be essential in connecting Brooklynites to jobs that offer livable wages, helping to develop skills that can be utilized for years to come,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Our Workforce 1 Center in Jamaica already serves over 6,000 New Yorkers annually, nearly 2,000 of which have been connected to employment. I’m excited to see how many Brooklynites will take advantage of the many resources the new Workforce1 Center in Brooklyn offers. I would like to thank the Department of Small Business Services and the New York Economic Development Corporation for addressing the needs of New Yorkers across the five boroughs.”

The Brooklyn Workforce1 ITC Center will serve as an on-site resource, connecting tenants of the facility to potential local employees to further support inclusive development in the Sunset Park area. Through this Workforce1 Center, Southwest Brooklyn residents will be able to connect to employment opportunities at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, Bush Terminal, Industry City, Liberty View Industrial Plaza, South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and Industrial and Manufacturing businesses throughout New York City.

Among other services offered at the center are candidate and recruitment services responsive to the needs of local residents, including career planning, job search, training and employment support.

The new Center is the first of three new Industrial and Manufacturing Workforce1 Career Centers to open this year. The others will be located in industrial business zones in Staten Island and the Bronx. The three new Centers will work as satellite branches of the current Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Center in Jamaica, Queens which serves over 6,000 New Yorkers through programs that offer interview and resume help, career counseling and other services. Nearly 2,000 of those served at the Jamaica center have been connected to high-quality employment.

The Brooklyn Army Terminal, where the Center is located, is a New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)-managed property in Sunset Park housing manufacturing companies that currently provide quality jobs for over 3,700 New Yorkers. Mayor de Blasio and NYCEDC are currently transforming over 500,000 square feet into a modern campus‎ for innovative industrial uses‎, and outfitting the new 55,000 square foot BAT Annex building to provide a home for advanced manufacturing.

The Workforce 1 ITC Center program – led by the Department of Small Business Services and the New York City Economic Development Corporation – delivers on an announcement made by Mayor de Blasio in November 2015 to expand workforce development in the Industrial and Manufacturing sectors, as part of a 10-point action plan to grow 21st Century jobs.

In support of Mayor de Blasio’s vision for workforce and economic development outlined in Career Pathways: One City, Working Together, SBS and the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development also announced the appointment of Gavin Whittle as the Founding Director of the Industrial Industry Partnership. The public/private partnership will be a collaboration between industrial employers, community groups, training providers, organized labor and government.

This partnership will lead a coordinated citywide strategy to support businesses and workers in these rapidly evolving sectors. In order to meet the unique needs of local communities, the partnership will create and lead Industrial Workforce Councils consisting of local stakeholders and leaders, whose work will shape the services provided at Workforce1 ITCs such as this new one located at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. This strategy will ensure that Industrial businesses are able to find the talent needed to thrive and grow, and that New Yorkers are equipped with the skills and qualifications needed to access jobs with livable wages.

"We are proud to announce today that Gavin Whittle will be leading the citywide strategy for the Industry Partnership focused on this sector. Through his leadership, businesses and residents of Southwest Brooklyn and other industrial communities will receive services that are tailored to their needs," said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. “The Industrial and Transportation sectors are key components of the City’s economy, and I want to thank our partners at EDC and SBIDC for partnering with us to develop a dynamic new resource for this community.”

"The Brooklyn Army Terminal is already home to innovative companies and thousands of quality manufacturing jobs in Sunset Park," said NYCEDC President Maria Torres-Springer. “This Workforce1 Center will connect even more local residents to well-paying jobs in growing industrial fields, helping to ensure that New Yorkers have not just the skills, but also the opportunities to succeed."

"As part of the Career Pathways approach, the Office of Workforce Development commends the new Workforce1 center for creating strong ties between employers and the talent they seek," said Barbara Chang, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development. "The new Brooklyn Army Terminal center provides companies like Bestec Concepts with access to qualified workers, while connecting job seekers in South Brooklyn to quality employment opportunities.  We're thrilled to support the Department of Small Business Services in their efforts to support economic growth throughout the city."

“Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC) knows firsthand that the industrial and manufacturing sectors continue to grow and thrive in Sunset Park and across the industrial centers of Brooklyn, providing jobs with a career pathway and family-supporting wages,” said David Meade, Executive Director of SBIDC. “Working closely with SBS and EDC, we have formed a neighborhood jobs taskforce, convening local nonprofit organizational partners to ensure that residents have better access to good quality, career-track industrial and manufacturing jobs that value competencies, not degrees, and can launch workers into the middle-class. The City’s decision to open the Brooklyn Workforce ITC fits directly into this neighborhood vision, allowing SBIDC to greatly expand its workforce capacity and ultimately better serve its mission of connecting local jobseekers with local employers.”

"I would first like to applaud SBS and EDC for their continued services throughout New York City and recognizing the need for job readiness programs in Brooklyn,” said State Senator Diane Savino. “With the opening of their new Brooklyn Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Career Center, people seeking job assistance will now be able to go somewhere to receive not only various job trainings but have access to a database of available employment opportunities.”

State Senator Jesse Hamilton said, “I welcome the opening of the Brooklyn Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Career Center, continuing the Department of Small Business Services and the Economic Development Corporation’s longstanding commitment to connect jobseekers with employment opportunities and promote economic development. This new career center opens a path to career success for many more New Yorkers and helps foster an atmosphere where businesses can thrive. Thanks to SBS and EDC for contributing so much to boosting neighborhood businesses, we all benefit when our neighborhood businesses succeed.”

"The Brooklyn Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Career Center can succeed if it successfully reaches out to local Sunset Park residents and fully integrates them into the goals and projects at the center,” said Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix W. Ortiz. “Waterfront projects should be community based and focused. This must be our top priority, and we look forward to partnering with SBS and EDC to promote this essential new resource among local residents.”

"Brooklyn is experiencing an impressive renaissance in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. It makes perfect sense for Brooklyn Workforce1 Center to train local job seekers and help find job placement. The opening of this center will not only support the needs of workers but will ultimately assist small business owners in identifying workers who can help them grow their businesses,” said Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., Chair of the Committee on Small Business Services.

“The benefits of a resurgent Sunset Park waterfront must not bypass local residents who need good jobs. The City’s obligation to foster Sunset Park’s historic walk-to-work community will be well served by the new Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Career Center at Brooklyn Army Terminal,” said Council Member Carlos Menchaca. “I am very pleased to see management of the center handled by long-time local business advocates who know our community. I thank SBS and EDC for bringing this resource to Sunset Park and will work with them to support and promote it.”

"Manufacturing in New York City - particularly in Brooklyn - has been on the rise in recent years, creating high-quality jobs that have improved the lives of thousands of people. With this expansion of Workforce1, the residents of Southwest Brooklyn and our burgeoning waterfront will have greater access to terrific employment opportunities, and our small businesses will tap into a wealth of talent that will help them grow even stronger. Congratulations to Mayor Bill de Blasio on this incredible achievement, and I look forward to working with him and EDC to continue to expand the manufacturing sector in Brooklyn and across the five boroughs," said Carlo A. Scissura President and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

About the Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
The Department of Small Business Services helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building a fairer economy in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information on all of SBS' services, go to nyc.gov/sbs, call 311, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is the City's primary vehicle for promoting economic growth in each of the five boroughs. NYCEDC's mission is to stimulate growth through expansion and redevelopment programs that encourage investment, generate prosperity and strengthen the City's competitive position. NYCEDC serves as an advocate to the business community by building relationships with companies that allow them to take advantage of New York City's many opportunities. Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or visit our blog to learn more about NYCEDC projects and initiatives.

About Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation (SBIDC)
SBIDC is a local economic development agency that has been a driving force in the Southwest Brooklyn economy since 1978, when the organization was formed by a group of business owners that bridged the gap between the need for advocacy and direct services for industrial and manufacturing businesses. SBIDC believes that strengthening New York City’s base of industrial and manufacturing businesses is absolutely crucial to the goals of creating good jobs and developing career pathways that lead to economic mobility for New Yorkers.     



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