City Increases Efforts to Prepare New Yorkers for Tech Jobs with Additional $4M Investment in Technology and College Partnerships

NEW YORK, NY—Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYC Deputy Mayor J. Phillip Thompson, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO James Patchett, and NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Gregg Bishop today announced an additional $4 million investment in tech and college partnerships for its $20 million CUNY 2x Tech initiative, which seeks to double the number of career-qualified tech graduates by 2022.

"The next generation of tech jobs is coming to New York City, and thanks to partnerships like the CUNY 2x Tech initiative, more and more of them will be filled by born-and-bred New Yorkers," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "In just two years, more than 1,000 New York City students have already taken the first steps on their road to a tech career, and by increasing our investment in CUNY 2x Tech, hundreds more will be able to stay put and find a fulfilling job in one of the country's biggest tech hubs."

This investment raises the number of participating colleges to eight, surpassing the City’s original goal of six. Brooklyn College, College of Staten Island, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Medgar Evers College and Queens College will join three existing partners to increase offerings in industry-aligned instruction, advising and internships.

Each school is expected to receive a total investment of up to $2 million over three years. NYCEDC, under its Cyber NYC initiative, will also expand the initiative’s Tech-in-Residence Corps to include cyber security, bringing in dozens of industry professionals to teach as adjuncts across CUNY campuses. Industry partners including LinkedIn, Spotify, and Google will provide instructors, host interns, hire graduates and advise the CUNY 2x Tech program.

“CUNY 2x Tech is an initiative to build the next generation of world-class industry professionals in today’s ever-evolving tech landscape,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. “The expansion of this program represents the City’s continued commitment to improving the employability of our tech graduates in an increasingly competitive market.”

“This additional investment in NYC public colleges expands the pipelines of opportunities for New Yorkers to enter quality, well-paying careers in the tech sector,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “Local employers can now reach into a larger pool of home-grown talent to help their business and New York City’s economy grow.”

“We’re thrilled to help deliver additional resources to CUNY 2x Tech and support this essential initiative,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “This innovative collaboration between industry and academia will create the critical networks needed for New York’s next generation of tech professionals and ensures that students from across the city can gain the skills they need to hit the ground running after graduation. I’d like to thank our partners at SBS for championing this effort and who helped make this project possible.”

Since launching in October 2017, CUNY 2x Tech has achieved the following milestones:

• Over 1,000 students were taught industry specific skills by Tech-In-Residence Corps professionals.
• Up to 21% increase in graduate job connection rates with average starting salary of $83,500 - $96,900.
• Nearly 1,600 tech bachelor’s degrees awarded in the 2017-2018 Academic year.
• This past academic year, CUNY graduates from participating schools launched careers at leading tech companies, including: Facebook, Amazon, Google, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Spotify, Twitter, Viacom, Vimeo, ADP, American Express, Apple, Bank of America, Bloomberg, Capital One, Chubb, Cockroach Labs, Discover Technologies, Epic Systems, ESPN, Flatiron Health, FreeWheel, GEICO, GrubHub, Honeywell, IBM, Infor, Infosys, Intersection Co., Like Minded Software, Macy's, Moody's Analytics, Saatchi & Saatchi, Schoology, SimpleBet and Visa.
• Crown Castle offered students a rotational internship to support the launch of tech careers, while Animoto, Artsy, BlockApps, Bright Power, Equinox, Floreo Labs, Healthie, Homerlearning, Kustomer, MongoDB, Motivate, NYTimes, Real Factors, Schoology, Videri/ WHIM, WebMD and others hosted interns and co-op participants.
• Industry professionals have committed to teaching for-credit electives as part of the Tech-in-Residence Corps LinkedIn, Bloomberg, Salesforce, Spotify, StreetEasy, American Express, Alpha Beta Creatives, Arete Advisors, Attentive Mobile, Capital One, Bank of America, Chobani, Council on Foreign Relations, Datanomy, Estee Lauder, Etsy, EY, Gemini, Google, GrubHub, Morgan Stanley, Xandr, J.P. Morgan Chase & , Penguin Random House, RedHat, Steadfast Financial, Thomson Reuters, Weight Watchers, International, and 360i.
• Google, Bloomberg, Flatiron Health, and JPMorgan Chase provided insight on tech hiring cycles and roles.

NYC-based tech companies, professionals and academic leaders interested in becoming involved in this program may visit techtalentpipeline.nyc/cuny2xtech to learn more.

“The CUNY 2x Tech initiative is a prime example of the innovative way CUNY is engaging with industry partners to prepare our students for success in the constantly evolving tech ecosystem,” said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “The expansion of this program reflects the success of the two schools that launched this initiative and will ensure that even more students have a direct path to the middle class. We thank Mayor de Blasio for his support for this critical program, and for investing in our students.”

“As a longtime partner to the New York City Tech Talent Pipeline, Etsy strongly supports their goal to double the number of CS graduates from New York City schools,” said Etsy CTO Mike Fisher. “Etsy is one of the City's largest homegrown tech employers, so we see direct benefits from this initiative and recognize the value it delivers to other tech companies and local businesses. In New York, tech is not an isolated industry and we are excited to be a part of something that helps Etsy, the NYC tech community, and the City.”

“All of us at Brooklyn College are delighted that our Computer Science students will be the beneficiaries of the CUNY 2x grant from the New York City Economic Development Corporation and NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS),” said Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson. “This partnership strengthens our ties to the Tech industry, increases our course offerings in computer science, expands advisement and career services, ensuring that our students are optimally prepared for a broad range of careers in TECH fields.”

“Queens College is delighted to partner with the tech industry and government in this vital initiative. It’s a critical time for strengthening the tech component of a liberal arts education as we see more graduates being selected by employers for cutting-edge skills that are enhanced by a well-rounded liberal arts education,” said Queens College Interim President William Tramontano. “The investment by the NYCEDC and SBS will help us offer our students opportunities similar to the Google Computer Science Summer Institute Extension program, where QC students who are historically underrepresented in STEM learn software and programming fundamentals from Google engineers. We look forward to working closely with all participants.”

“The College of Staten Island is extremely honored to be selected to participate in SBS’ NYC Tech Talent Pipeline/CUNY 2x Tech initiative,” said College of Staten Island President William J. Fritz. “This initiative will provide valuable resources and support to meet the ambitious goal of doubling the number of graduates with tech degrees. Additionally, the initiative will significantly advance student career success and employment outcomes as well as drive economic development on Staten Island as we continue to build a vibrant tech ecosystem in the borough.”

“As we move more of our world online and into the cloud, issues of cybersecurity become even more vital to our daily lives,” said John Jay College of Criminal Justice President Karol V. Mason. “That’s why John Jay College is proud to partner with NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) to meet the Mayor’s goal of doubling our number of cybersecurity undergraduate majors within the next three years. Our graduates will be able to help this city meet the high demand for diverse, skilled tech employees.”

“The road to STEM careers for historically underrepresented students is paved by partnerships such as this,” said Medgar Evers College President Rudolph F. Crew. “We are so pleased to be selected and participate in this significant initiative. Through the experience, knowledge, and connections that our students will gain, most importantly, they will come to see themselves as future leaders and innovators in the tech industry.”

"We are thrilled to be able to support and collaborate with the New York City Tech Talent Pipeline, said Chris Levendos, Vice President of Network Engineering and Operations at Crown Castle. “Programs like this are a win-win, benefiting both students and industry. Together we can fill gaps in the workforce, deliver skills-based training and illuminate pathways to the careers of the future."

About New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
New York City Economic Development Corporation creates shared prosperity across New York City’s five boroughs by strengthening neighborhoods and creating good jobs. NYCEDC works with and for communities to provide them with the resources they need to thrive, and we invest in projects that increase sustainability, support job growth, develop talent, and spark innovation to strengthen the City’s competitive advantage. To learn more about our work and initiatives, please visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or our Instagram.

About the Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
SBS 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 SBS services, go to nyc.gov/sbs, call 311, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About the CUNY 2x Tech Initiative
Designed with industry and academic leaders and launched in October 2017, CUNY 2x Tech is the City’s $20M investment in faculty, advising, and work-based programs designed to grow the volume and employability of CUNY computer science majors. Operating in eight of the 11 CUNY senior colleges, the initiative focuses on building the capacity of Computer Science departments to offer rapidly evolving industry-aligned skills, awareness, and experience to enable students to connect to jobs in the NYC tech ecosystem following graduation. Industry partners play a critical role in supporting the initiative, including through the Tech-in-Residence Corps, a cross-campus program that brings industry professionals into the classroom to teach for-credit courses on high-demand skills. techtalentpipeline.nyc/cuny2xtech

About the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline
Launched by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014, the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline is the City's tech Industry Partnership, designed to support the inclusive growth of the NYC tech sector by delivering quality jobs for New Yorkers and qualified talent for the City’s businesses. The Tech Talent Pipeline works with 385+ companies, 17 local colleges, and additional public and private partners to define employer needs, develop training and education models to meet these needs, and scale solutions throughout the City, delivering quality talent for the City's businesses and quality jobs for New Yorkers. techtalentpipeline.nyc

About NYC Department of Small Business Services’ Industry Partnerships
The NYC Tech Talent Pipeline is one of SBS's five industry partnerships that work with employers, industry and trade organizations, organized labor, non-profits, training providers and educational institutions, private philanthropy, and workforce organizations to build a sustainable and robust pipeline of local talent to fill New York City's jobs, create formal career paths to good jobs, reduce barriers to employment and sustain or increase middle-class jobs. Other industry partnerships include the construction, healthcare, hospitality, and industrial fields.