Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 6, 2017
CONTACT: media@nycha.nyc.gov

NYCHA HONORS FIRST COHORT OF GRADUATES FROM SANDY JOB TRAINING PROGRAM

Pathways to Apprenticeship is a program for Sandy-impacted NYCHA residents to learn skills for jobs in the building and construction trades.

Part of NYCHA’s Sandy Recovery Pre-Apprenticeship Program, a federally-funded program which aims to train 100 residents annually.

Sandy-impacted resident graduates of the NYCHA-sponsored Pathways to Apprenticeship course.
Sandy-impacted resident graduates of the NYCHA-sponsored Pathways to Apprenticeship course.

NEW YORK–Today, the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Office of Recovery and Resilience (R+R) hosted a graduation ceremony for Superstorm Sandy-impacted residents who participated in the inaugural class of the Pathways to Apprenticeship program sponsored by NYCHA’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program.

“Five years after Superstorm Sandy, we are committed to building back stronger and providing new opportunities for our residents,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “Today’s graduates will join trade unions working to rebuild their own communities, and should take pride knowing they are helping get the City back on its feet through their hard work and dedication to their futures, their families and our community.”

Pathways to Apprenticeship offers classroom and hands-on construction training to Sandy-impacted NYCHA residents. The program links graduates to work as an apprentice in the building and construction trade unions working on NYCHA R+R contracts. This is the first NYCHA R+R training class. Today, 23 Sandy-impacted NYCHA residents graduated at the ceremony held today. Today’s residents are from the Gowanus and Red Hook neighborhoods.

Residents in the Pathways to Apprenticeship course received a stipend of $250 after each week, a MetroCard for transportation, a helmet, work boots, and assorted equipment. Graduates will also receive an Occupational Safety and Health Administration 10 and Scaffold Safety certification. 

“Sandy Apprenticeship is an important program that can lead to greater job opportunities. I want to congratulate the first graduating class today,” said Assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz. “It is my hope that we will see many more graduates in the future learning skills to guide them to a brighter future. Education and training are critical to a successful job training program.”

NYCHA R+R, part of the Authority’s Capital Projects Department, is managing recovery and resilience work at 33 NYCHA developments. To date, this ongoing capital work has created over 550 new jobs through the Sandy program. Of those, 370 have been filled by low-income New Yorkers, including 221 NYCHA residents. NYCHA residents are given top priority when new hires are considered on any NYCHA project.

NYCHA secured $1.4 million from HUD to fund a pre-apprenticeship program for Sandy-impacted NYCHA residents. NYCHA R+R is funding three pre-apprenticeship training programs to ensure Sandy-impacted NYCHA residents who are not currently qualified to execute the work have a clear pathway to gaining employment over the next several years.

Pathways to Apprenticeships is part of NYCHA’s Sandy Recovery Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which aims to train 100 NYCHA residents annually. NYCHA R+R has also partnered with Rebuilding Together and Non-traditional Employment for Women. All partners link graduates to union membership.


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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
NYCHA’s mission is to increase opportunities for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers by providing safe, affordable housing and facilitating access to social and community services. More than 400,000 New Yorkers reside in NYCHA’s 326 public housing developments around the five boroughs, and another 235,000 receive subsidized rental assistance in private homes through the NYCHA-administered Section 8 Leased Housing Program. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycha and for regular updates on NYCHA news and services, connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCHA and www.twitter.com/NYCHA.