Hochul Announces Statewide Initiative to Help Connect Job Seekers to Employment

Community Partnerships Will Focus on Assisting New Yorkers Served by Pandemic-Related Programs including Emergency Rental Assistance Program

Record 220,000+ Jobs Available in New York State Job Bank

Upcoming Virtual Job Fairs in Every Region of the State

Efforts Will Build Upon the Current Campaign Focused on Helping New Yorkers Find the Job They Love

DOL Will Offer 1,000 Additional Virtual Career Appointments Per Week

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a new initiative to build upon extensive efforts already underway by the New York State Department of Labor to connect job seekers to the record more than 220,000 available jobs, tools and training resources.

"After the hardship New York's workforce has experienced as a result of COVID-19, it is crucial that we connect individuals looking for jobs with businesses looking to hire," Governor Hochul said. "Streamlining the recruitment process benefits everyone involved, as well as the state as a whole. I look forward to seeing the good that will stem from this initiative as we build New York back better and stronger than it's ever been before."

The New York State Department of Labor continues to proactively connect New Yorkers with jobs through recruitment, skill-matching, marketing, community outreach, virtual career services, a broadcast and social media campaign, and other ongoing efforts as part of New York State's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this new initiative, the New York State Department of Labor will expand those existing services to collaborate with additional community partners across the state to educate New Yorkers about no-cost resources available to connect them with jobs. The Department of Labor will also partner with Community Based Organizations, including those who assisted New Yorkers through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to connect those in need to jobs, training and other resources.

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has created a massive shift, not only in the type of jobs that are available, but also who is looking for work -- when, where, and how -- and the systems and programs needed to assist them. We have to reimagine how we connect job seekers to these jobs while also meeting the needs of our employers and we need all of our partners, from workforce development to our local community organizations, to help us educate New Yorkers about these critical resources."

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Executive Deputy Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, "Many New Yorkers lost jobs or were unable to work with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to struggle to find steady employment. Our office will engage community based organizations that already support low and moderate income households throughout the state so they can help make sure residents are aware of the services available from the Department of Labor to help them connect with jobs, training and other important resources to improve their skills and opportunities for employment."

Partner Organization Training

The NYS DOL will train customer-facing staff at non-profits, state agencies and other community partners who regularly assist New Yorkers in connecting to services, including pandemic-related assistance, on these vital career resources so there is consistent messaging throughout New York State that expands and improves access to job seeking services and assistance.

Organizations can sign up to take train-the-trainer sessions here.

The training for community partners will focus on the many career services available, how to access these services and how to use them effectively. Services include career exploration, job search assistance, resume writing, interviewing skills, and virtual career services such as a virtual career center and virtual career fairs. DOL will host webinars and provide resources they can share directly through their networks.

DOL already offers thousands of virtual one-on-one career services appointments to those receiving unemployment benefits. As part of this partnership, it will add 1,000 additional appointments slots each week across the state and will provide an online referral form for job seekers to complete to request a virtual appointment with a career counselor. People can sign up for appointments here.

In addition to the new series of tools for job seekers, the NYS DOL continues to encourage businesses to take advantage of no-cost recruitment services and hiring incentives available.

Virtual Career Fairs

Job seekers in every region can now engage with businesses in a job fair setting without leaving home, browse available jobs, and connect directly with businesses hiring to ask questions. The Department has also been partnering with other state agencies to highlight and recruit for opportunities within New York State government.

A full listing of career fairs and virtual workshops can be found here. Some of the upcoming virtual fairs include:

• Dec 7 - 11 AM - New York City Virtual Career Fair
• Dec 8 - 11 AM - Central NY Virtual Career Fair
• Dec 8 - 11 AM - Finger Lakes Virtual Career Fair
• Dec 9 - 11 AM - Capital Region Virtual Career Fair
• Dec 14 - 11AM - Western NY Virtual Career Fair
• Dec 15 - 11 AM - Hudson Valley Virtual Career

In addition to direct email outreach to New Yorkers, the NYS DOL has also launched a broadcast and social media campaign to connect New Yorkers with available jobs. This includes radio, television, social media, and public transit ads.

The Department has also launched a new campaign called "This is Why" to introduce New Yorkers to new career paths including truck driving, manufacturing, and nursing, among others.

No-Cost Resources for Job Seekers

NYS DOL offers many no-cost resources to assist New Yorkers looking for work, including:

• New York State Job Bank and JobZone: Now topping a record 220,000+ available positions, the Job Bank website allows New Yorkers to browse open jobs by location, job title and company name. Additional job search and career development tools are designed to help individuals plan their future, organize their job search, develop resumes, and explore careers.
• Virtual Workshops: Daily live webinars on relevant topics like resume writing, job search and interviewing techniques.
• Career Center Services: Learn from the experts and gain access to career counseling, resume development and job search resources offered virtually via phone or video conference. NYSDOL has launched a holistic virtual career center platform and New Yorkers can make an appointment here. Additional resources can be found here.
• Coursera: Based on results from a recent Business Survey, NYS DOL has worked to prioritize the top skills businesses say are most in need and make online training courses available for free to unemployed New Yorkers. More than 56,000 people are already using online training through Coursera, which offers thousands of courses in skills relevant to high-demand industries, to upskill and explore other career paths.
• SUNY Training: NYSDOL is working to connect job seekers to SUNY's broad spectrum of learning opportunities provided by SUNY both online and in-person.
• Registered Apprenticeship: Job seekers interested in proven training for a wide range of trades (manufacturing, construction, information technology, child care, teacher, etc.) can learn about paid on-the-job and classroom training available through Registered Apprenticeship programs.
• Part-Time Hiring Opportunities Job Bank: In the wake of COVID-19, NYS DOL revised its Partial Unemployment Insurance system which now bases unemployment insurance benefits on the number of hours actually worked over the course of a week, instead of just the number of days worked. Under this new system, unemployed New Yorkers can get back to work in a part-time capacity without the risk of losing their UI benefits. To compliment this change, NYS DOL launched a website now listing 27,0000+ part-time jobs in New York State which job seekers can sort by location, job title and company.