I was like, 'What do you mean, I can actually work and take some classes?' I didn't even know there were apprenticeships out there, because I thought it was something of the past. That was my dream-to go into some field of engineering-so it was great to find something like AT&T, which has an apprenticeship program where you can jump into it, which later becomes software engineering.
The funding marks the sixth round of Strengthening Community College Training Grants, administered by the department's Employment and Training Administration. Community colleges will be able to receive awards up to $11 million to support their efforts to create Workforce Pell-eligible programs. The money can also help community college systems or consortia develop processes for tracking outcomes data required by Workforce Pell.
Care for children from 6 weeks to age 2 is complex, workforce intensive, and costly to deliver. If universal child care is going to become a reality, it must be built with, not merely for, the providers who already carry the system. To ensure it is sustainable, equitable, and grounded in operational reality, we must include family child care providers, community based nonprofit organizations, and long standing neighborhood institutions that have served working families for decades.
The campaign points employers to our Industry Support Hub, a central conduit that helps businesses hire students, build internship programs, collaborate with faculty and utilize our campus facilities. This work complements and supports CUNY Beyond, our university-wide initiative to foster career readiness. Launched in the fall, CUNY Beyond is all about preparing students for what comes next. Power Your Business with CUNY brings employers into that journey, connecting classroom learning to workplace opportunity.
According to federal data, 24 percent of New York adults are at the lowest levels of literacy, defined by the advocacy organization Literacy New York as being either functionally illiterate (reading below a fifth grade level), lacking a high school diploma, or being unable to speak English. That same data shows Brooklyn and Queens rates are roughly ten percent higher than the state average, and in the Bronx, a whopping 50 percent of adults do not have basic literacy skills.
We are proud to begin implementing this historic partnership that will not only create a better coordinated federal approach to postsecondary education and workforce development, but will also ensure that students pursuing higher education pursue programs aligned with their career goals and workforce needs," Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education David Barker said in a statement.
The Learning and Development (L&D) landscape relied on the same standardized programs and inflexible slide decks for decades. This model complied with basic training on a repeat basis. Basic training overshadowed what true talent development could (and should) offer. The pace of business transformation has surpassed our capacity to keep curricula up to date. Today, the old training model isn't just inefficient; it is insufficient.
Think about an employee who wants to improve their skills and knowledge. They work hard to grow both personally and professionally through continuous learning. Now, think about someone who doesn't want to change and sticks to their old habits. Who would be a better asset to your business? It's clear that staffers who focus on self-improvement are much more valuable. They contribute to a culture of learning and support leaders in growing the business steadily.
At the Center for Academic Innovation, my role as the inaugural Chief Education Solutions Officer (or CESO) is to open a new learning innovation horizon for the Center and help U-M achieve its next tier of educational impact. I do this by creating sustainable strategic partnerships that enable us to serve workforce and talent development needs of external organizations.
A new global survey encompassing the views of 1,540 board members and C-suite executives reveals that while corporate leaders are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) with optimism, a far more profound and existential talent crisis is emerging: the disappearance of the pathways that traditionally developed senior-level strategic expertise. AI is exposing not merely a lack of technical skills, but a critical thinking gap threatening the organizational pipeline needed to oversee and optimize these powerful new systems. In a moderated discussion with Joe Kornik, Senior Director, Editorial Programs, Protiviti, a series of experts and top executives from the consulting firm revealed the biggest concerns on executives' minds heading into 2026, during a lunchtime panel in New York City.
"We train our students. They're in the kitchen, they're learning all things within a very short amount of time. It's an intensive program and then we work to place them afterward," said Sherri Francois, the executive director of the SoLa Foundation, a nonprofit that works to empower underprivileged residents of Los Angeles with workforce development training. The foundation opened the cafe and culinary training program at its campus dubbed The Beehive at 1000 E. 60th St.
Amazon has invested $52.3 billion in New York since 2010, including infrastructure and compensation to employees. The company has contributed $46 billion to the state's economy. Amazon partners with 20 New York educational institutions through its Career Choice program, offering employees prepaid tuition for skills development. More than 769 million items were sold by New York-based independent sellers through Amazon's store in 2024.
"At Master's Transportation, Luukkonen has been instrumental in overseeing the company's financing and staffing efforts, including negotiating a PACE loan to fund energy-efficient upgrades at the company's new facility, such as geothermal heating and cooling systems. This ensures comfort for automotive and manufacturing technicians year-round, with temperatures no colder than 68 degrees in winter and no warmer than 82 degrees in summer."
With generative AI, robotics, automation, and other technologies transforming how people do their jobs, corporate training has become more crucial. That said, company leaders shouldn't conduct any old form of training just to check it off the list. Evolving technologies mean corporate training must evolve, too. And that's why leaders should invest in video-based training by creating high-quality training videos that teach employees the skills, concepts, and workflows they need to thrive in the future workforce.
The YMCA of Greater New York is grateful for this critical investment from our generous partners at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield that will help build our Community Lifesavers Lifeguard Initiative - training and certifying even more lifeguards across the city. This investment will enable the YMCA to further address the ongoing lifeguard shortage head-on and open doors to opportunities for New Yorkers of all ages who face barriers to becoming lifeguards.
Databricks has announced plans to train 100,000 people across the UK and Ireland in AI and data skills. The skills development scheme will target a range of areas, including generative AI, data engineering, machine learning, and analytics. The initiative will be delivered through the company's global education program, Databricks Free Edition, and underpinned by $10 million in funding. Databricks Free Edition offers participants access to self-paced training and AI tools, and is designed to help close what the company claims is a growing AI talent gap.
He said he expects that Signature Development Group, the firm Valero consulted to assess the future of the site, will have a proposal ready around the time that Valero shuts down the refinery next year. City staff have also been using a priority-based budgeting tool that will inform the City Council and community on Benicia's most essential programs and those "that may need to be retired," Giuliani said, adding that the city could lose about 13% of its $60 million general fund.
