100,000 GOOD-PAYING JOBS:

MAYOR DE BLASIO RELEASES 10-YEAR PLAN TO INVEST IN NEW INDUSTRIES, RAISE WAGES, TRAIN NEW YORKERS, STRENGTHEN MIDDLE CLASS

“New York Works” invests in Cybersecurity, Freight, Life Sciences, Virtual Reality, Culture, Tech, Manufacturing, Apprenticeships

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today released New York Works, a series of 25 initiatives to spur 100,000 jobs with good wages over the coming decade. To combat economic inequality, grow the middle class and adapt to ever-changing technology, the City will invest in industries with high wages and job potential, focusing on jobs that pay at least $50,000 per year or offer a clear path to that salary level.

The de Blasio administration will invest heavily in technology, particularly cybersecurity (30,000 jobs); life sciences and health care (15,000 jobs); industrial and manufacturing (20,000 jobs); and the creative and cultural sectors (10,000 jobs). It will support those sectors with physical space to expand, tax incentives to promote growth, business development investments for early-stage companies, and workforce training to connect New Yorkers to good jobs. These strategies will be supported by City actions to spur millions of square feet of new commercial office space (25,000 jobs).

“We have to take economic inequality head-on, and that means raising wages and launching more New Yorkers into the middle class. These are the fast-growing, high-paying industries that represent the future of our city, but only if we invest now in the places, the workforce and the infrastructure to compete,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Its 25 initiatives include:

·         Establishing NYC as the next global hub for cybersecurity through a $30 million investment in training New Yorkers, academic R&D labs, and the first business ‘accelerator’ dedicated solely to early-stage cybersecurity firms in New York City. The programs will directly create 3,500 good-paying jobs and catalyze another 6,500 in the industry.

·         Freight NYC, a multi-pronged strategy for a citywide freight network that will create 4,000 good-paying industrial jobs by building more shipping and distribution infrastructure to connect NYC to the nation’s ‘Marine Highway,’ reducing regional truck traffic on our roadways and costs for NYC businesses and consumers.

·         Doubling the number of CUNY’s Computer Science graduates to 2,000 per year within 5 years by investing in faculty, real world experiences for students through internships and work/study programs, and improved career advising. The shortage of trained, ready-to-work talent remains a significant challenge to the growth of NYC’s tech ecosystem, and increasing qualified candidates will enable local tech firms to fill positions faster and open up new career paths for New Yorkers.

·         Appointing NYC’s first Nightlife Ambassador, a senior-level administration official tasked with supporting the nightlife and live music industry—a vital component of keeping NYC a creative and cultural capital.

·         NYC’s first Digital Health Lab, a $5-million product testing ground for healthcare and tech companies ready to bring their products into a clinical setting that models real-world patient interactions, record-keeping terminals and consultations. More than 850 jobs will be generated by new and growing companies using the facility.

·         Building the nation’s first Augmented and Virtual Reality Lab, a $6-million investment to position NYC as the center of this growing industry and provide space for its innovators to start and grow companies.

·         Apprentice NYC, a new employer-partnership model that will provide 500 New Yorkers with good jobs in sectors that include tech, healthcare/life sciences, and industrial and manufacturing.

·         Office Anchor, a new initiative to spur commercial buildings in the outer boroughs by leveraging City agencies as anchor tenants. An upcoming RFP for commercial development in East New York will include 250,000 square feet sought by the Human Resources Administration.