NYC Comptroller’s Annual M/WBE Report Shows City Agencies Continuing to Fall Woefully Short of Needed Progress

 

Just 5.3% of overall City contract value went to M/WBEs in FY 2023; even out of the smaller share of contracts covered by M/WBE participation goals, only 9.8% went to M/WBEs — and only 1% went to Black, Hispanic, or women-of-color owned businesses

The Adams Administration has made progress on some of last year’s recommendations, but the data largely tells a story of how far there is to go

NYC Comptroller Brad Lander released the office’s Annual Report on M/WBE Procurement, exposing critical shortcomings in the City’s efforts to ensure equitable distribution of contracts among Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs). Within the city’s program to encourage higher M/WBE utilization, agencies registered only 9.8% of eligible contracts to M/WBE prime vendors in FY23. Black, Hispanic, and women-of-color owned business each hover at just 1% of contract value.  

“M/WBEs deserve their fair share of City contracts, yet this year’s disappointing numbers fall woefully short of where we need to be,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “The Adams Administration has taken steps to improve equity in City contracting – but the data tells a story of how far there is to go. We offer detailed recommendations for streamlining connections between the City and businesses seeking contracts, being more diligent about setting and monitoring goals, and transforming the way contractors – especially in human services – utilize M/WBE subcontractors. With stronger management and coordination, we can reverse these unacceptable trends and move toward fairness in City contracting.” 

The Comptroller’s Annual Report on M/WBE Procurement provides a comprehensive review of contract registration data to analyze City agencies’ performance in awarding M/WBE prime contracts based on procurement method, dollar value, and industry. Key findings include:

• M/WBEs secured only 5.3% of the roughly $40 billion of new City contracts and Purchase Orders (POs) registered in FY 2023, compared to 5.2% in FY 2022. 
• In the narrower universe of City contracts and POs subject to M/WBE participation goals under Local Law 174 (about one quarter of the City’s total procurement), M/WBEs represented just 9.8% in FY23, down from 16% in FY22. 
• Black M/WBEs represented only 1.16% of registered value contracts and POs subject to LL 174 goals, Hispanic M/WBEs only 0.96%, and women-of-color combined only 1.03% 
• M/WBEs are winning more contracts, but those contracts are for a fraction of the value of firms owned by white men. M/WBEs accounted for 60.3% of the total number of new contract registrations subject to LL 174 goals (up from 58.5% in FY 22). But the average value of a new contract registered in FY23 to M/WBE was just $511,000, less than one-ninth the $4.6 million average of contracts with non-certified firms. 
• Only about 20% of all City-certified M/WBEs secured a contract, PO, or approved subcontract registered by the City in FY 2023. 

• More than half of contracts awarded to M/WBEs are registered late, posing a significant challenge for smaller firms without sufficient working capital. This was even the case even for M/WBE Noncompetitive Small Purchase contracts, which were late nearly 70% of the time despite that agencies have the authority to self-register these actions.   

The report utilizes a new weighted performance metric to evaluate the relative performance of agencies compared to their peers with similarly sized procurement portfolios subject to LL 174. 

• Top performers in their categories: DEP, DHS, Law Department 
• Lowest performers: DOT, DCAS, DOF 
• Most improved from FY22: OTI, DHS, Law Department 

The report examines agencies’ use of the M/WBE Noncompetitive Small Purchase (NCSP) method, one of the City’s most effective tools at directing discretionary contract opportunities to M/WBEs. New legislation allowed agencies to use this method for procurements up to $1 million (and now to $1.5m), but agencies are not taking advantage of this newly increased threshold. Similarly, master agreements awarded to M/WBEs are less likely to be used than those registered to non-certified firms. Insufficient oversight for goal-setting in contracts also underscores the need for a more rigorous and extended examination and utilization process beyond the initial contract award. The system for tracking subcontractors remains badly incomplete, making it difficult to meaningful utilize or measure subcontracting to M/WBEs.   

The Report also evaluates the Adams Administration’s efforts to move the needle. It finds meaningful effort, some progress on the FY22 recommendations, and substantial areas for continued improvement. The City successfully lobbied in Albany and implemented the change to raise the M/WBE NCSP method threshold to $1.5 million. Some progress has been made since last year in establishing more pre-qualified lists, utilizing “best value” procurement, achieving higher dollar use of M/WBE NCSP, directing micro-purchases to M/WBEs, updating training and guidance to agencies, and making relevant date more easily accessible. No progress was made reforming the subcontracting process, validating commodity codes to agencies can find the right M/WBEs, or improving the timeliness of contract registration. The FY24 report also offers new recommendations to the Administration: 

• Streamline connections between M/WBEs and agencies. Strengthen the tools to connect M/WBEs to appropriate contracting opportunities, by standardizing commodity code selection and searches across agencies procuring similar goods & services. 
• Survey underutilized firms. Understanding the reasons most certified M/WBEs do not engage in business with the City is essential for implementing targeted improvements and enhancing the effectiveness of M/WBE participation programs. 
• Strengthen goal-setting procedures, support, and oversight. The City must establish and enforce standardized expectations for setting goals and monitoring compliance for all eligible contracts, including for contract changes and modifications. 
• Increase utilization of M/WBE subcontractors in human services contracting. The City should increase M/WBEs participation in the human services sector, through prime contracting and especially through more effective subcontracting processes. 

In preparing this report, the Comptroller’s Office held a series of M/WBE roundtables in each borough to gather on-the-ground feedback from small and large M/WBEs across industries. The experiences of these M/WBEs informed the findings and recommendations in the report. Direct testimonies from the participants of these sessions can be viewed in this video. 

“Expanding equitable opportunities for our city’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) is critical to the success of our communities,” said Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “While the City has made progress to increase contracting with M/WBE firms, it is clear that more work is needed to reach targeted participation goals. It will be important for all partners in government to continue working together to confront the challenges facing M/WBEs and ensure they have the necessary resources and support to thrive.” 

“As an advocate for equitable opportunities in procurement, I am deeply concerned by the findings outlined in the upcoming report. The persistently low percentage of contracts awarded to M/WBEs underscores the pressing need for comprehensive reform. Urgent action is required to rectify this imbalance and ensure fair access to contracting opportunities for all. The NAMC New York Tri-State Chapter and I stand ready to support efforts to implement meaningful change, including debundling jobs and creating smaller-sized design-build projects that can be set aside for the M/WBE community. In addition, capacity-building endeavors with real results are needed to support these businesses, empowering them to thrive in a competitive market,” said Nayan Parikh, President of Ashnu International and President of the National Association of Minority Contractors New York Tri-State Chapter. 

Watch M/WBE Firsthand Stories. 

Read the Annual Report on M/WBE Procurement. 

NYS Office of the Comptroller - DiNapoli: Housing Cost Burdens for New Yorkers Among Nation's Highest

 

Almost three million New York households are dealing with housing costs that consume more than 30% of their household income, with 1 in 5 households experiencing a severe cost burden of more than 50% of their income going to pay for housing, according to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. This is the third report in the State Comptroller’s “New Yorkers in Need” series. Previous reports focused on poverty and food insecurity.

“For too many New Yorkers, finding and keeping an adequate and affordable place to live has become more and more difficult,” DiNapoli said. “Rising costs are stretching household budgets and forcing trade-offs with other essentials, like food and health care. The consequences of housing insecurity are wide-ranging and while low-income renters are the most cost-burdened, these financial pressures are increasingly felt by middle class households. Action is needed by all levels of government.”

Housing insecurity is defined as the absence of, or limited or uncertain availability of, safe, adequate and affordable housing. DiNapoli’s report examines three categories of housing insecurity: high housing costs; physical inadequacy, including overcrowding and substandard conditions; and housing stress, including evictions and foreclosures, which may result in homelessness.

Major findings include:

• Cost burdens are the main cause of housing insecurity: In 2022, New York had 2.9 million households paying 30% or more of their income for housing. This constituted 38.9% of households, the 3^rd highest rate of housing cost burden among states.
• New York consistently ranks as one of the states with the highest cost burden for both owners (3^rd in 2022) and renters (13^th in 2022). The share of New York’s renters who are cost burdened (52.4%) is far greater than the share of cost-burdened homeowners (28%).
• Several factors affect cost burden, including the availability of housing at a variety of price points. Between 2012 and 2022, New York added 462,000 housing units, an increase of 5.7%. This was far below other states, with New York ranking 32^nd in the nation. Owner-occupied housing grew by 8.3% compared to 6.4% for renter-occupied housing. Monthly household costs grew more rapidly for renters (39%) than for homeowners (28%) between 2012 and 2022.
• Rates of rental cost burden increased across all income groups since 2012. Renters earning less than the median tend to be most burdened: 9 in 10 renter households with incomes below $35,000 experienced a cost burden, while 16% of households with income greater than $75,000 were burdened in 2022. Between 2012 and 2022 the greatest increases in rates of cost-burden were among renters with household income between $35,000 - $49,999 and between $50,000 - $74,999.
• Physically inadequate housing appears less prevalent than cost burden. Only 5% lived in crowded housing and less than 1% had housing with inadequate plumbing or kitchen facilities.
• Significant racial disparities exist among households suffering from housing insecurity. In New York, 55% of households headed by a Hispanic person, 50% of households headed by a Black or African American person and 48% of households headed by an Asian person had at least one housing insecurity problem, compared with 31% of households headed by a white person. People experiencing homelessness were also disproportionately Black, Hispanic or Latino.
• Housing insecurity among seniors exceeds the national average. 43% of New York households with a person 75 and older and 37% of those with at least 1 person 62 to 74 faced housing insecurity, compared to 34% and 29%, respectively, nationally.
• New York’s rate of homelessness, at about 5 per 1,000 people, was the highest in the nation and more than double the national rate of about 2 homeless per 1,000 people in Jan. 2023. The number of homeless grew by more than 39% in the most recent year, due in part to the influx of asylum seekers in New York City.

Regional Breakdown

For both owners and renters, housing cost burdens are highest in New York City (43% of households). More than one-third of households in the Mid-Hudson and Long Island regions are cost-burdened, higher than regions in the rest of New York, where aggregate burdens range from 24% in the North Country and Mohawk Valley to 27% in the Finger Lakes. At least 40% of rental households were burdened across all regions. The greatest share was on Long Island (51.4%), which has the smallest share of renters (under 20%). While more than 30% of owners were cost-burdened in downstate regions, less than 18% were in upstate regions.

High-cost burdens are more prevalent in urban areas. More than one-third of households (owners and renters) were burdened in Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, Rochester and Yonkers. Approximately half of all renters were burdened.

Recommendations:

As noted in the report, addressing this crisis will require action by all levels of government and must be geared toward increasing the supply and diversity of housing and providing increased assistance to renters to ease housing insecurity, including homelessness. The scale of the problem is beyond the capacity of state and local governments alone to solve and requires the federal government to take the lead in crafting solutions and providing resources to bolster a portion of the safety net that is letting too many Americans fall through.

DiNapoli recommended:

• Increase federal assistance, including increasing the number of Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) and authorizing additional Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) and Private Activity Bonds (PABs). LIHTC is the nation’s largest source of affordable housing financing, and changes to LIHTCs should be considered to incentivize the development of more affordable housing units.
• Improve transparency and effectiveness of current state and local resources and programs. The state should enhance reporting around resources allocated for housing, including capital spending, tax credits, operating spending and local assistance. In addition, the state must better administer current housing programs, as recommended by audits completed by the Office of the State Comptroller.
• Stimulate community-appropriate development actions and enhance the diversity and supply of housing stock. This should build on the Executive’s recent actions to provide incentives to certified “pro-housing” communities. Community control and input into development is essential. Local governments should review zoning regulations, and the state should provide planning and logistical support to communities willing to take action and approve statutory changes requested by local governments with a home rule message.
• Mitigate evictions and homelessness, including determining how much financial support should continue for the Emergency Rental Assistance and other programs and continuing funding for legal representation for low-income households.

Report

New Yorkers in Need: The Housing Insecurity Crisis

Other New Yorkers in Need Reports

New Yorkers In Need: A Look At Poverty Trends in New York State For The Last Decade

New Yorkers in Need: Food Insecurity and Nutritional Assistance Programs

Other Housing Reports

The Cost of Living in New York City: Housing

Audits

Housing Trust Fund Corporation – Internal Controls Over and Maximization of Federal Funding for Various Section 8 Housing Programs and the COVID Rent Relief Program

Division of Housing and Community Renewal - Physical and Financial Conditions at Selected Mitchell-Lama Developments in New York City

Division of Housing and Community Renewal – Physical and Financial Conditions at Selected Mitchell-Lama Developments Located Outside New York City                            

Apache Corporation to Pay $4 Million and Reduce Unlawful Air Pollution from Oil and Gas Wells in New Mexico and Texas, Eliminating More Than 10,000 Tons of Harmful Air Pollutants Annually

 

Company Also Will Spend $5.5 Million for Preventative Measures and to Help Address Environmental Harm Caused by Its Violations

Apache Corporation (Apache) has agreed to pay $4 million in civil penalties and undertake projects expected to cost at least $5.5 million to ensure 422 of its oil and gas well pads in New Mexico and Texas comply with state and federal clean air regulations and offset past illegal emissions.

Apache’s agreement settles a civil suit – filed jointly by the United States, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) – alleging that Apache failed to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from 23 of its oil and gas production operations in New Mexico and Texas. EPA and NMED identified the alleged violations through field investigations and repeated flyover surveillance conducted in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

Compliance with this robust settlement will result in annual reductions of more than 9,650 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 900 tons of methane, which equates to more than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). VOCs are a key component in the formation of ground-level ozone or smog, which irritates lungs, exacerbates diseases including asthma and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis.

“This settlement will ensure compliance at hundreds of oil and gas facilities across New Mexico and Texas,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under the settlement, over 400 Apache facilities will be required to take extensive steps to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds – which contribute to smog – as well as methane gas, which is a significant contributor to climate change.”

“Robust enforcement of Clean Air Act violations at oil and gas facilities protects communities from harmful smog and reduces methane emissions that are major contributors to global climate change,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s agreement demonstrates EPA’s commitment to working with our state partners to tackle climate change and improve air quality for everyone living in the United States.” 

“Noxious pollutants directly threaten the health of neighboring communities while propelling our world toward climate disaster,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico. “I applaud the tireless efforts of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, the U.S. EPA and the NMED to protect our lungs and our earth. Environmental justice is a top priority for the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.”

“This settlement shows that oil and gas operators deserve greater scrutiny because too many are failing to comply with federal and state rules,” said New Mexico Environment Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “As a result, bad actors will cause greater federal and state regulation of the entire oil and gas industry as ozone levels rise and public health suffers.”

The $4 million fine outlined in the settlement will be shared equally by the United States and the State of New Mexico, with New Mexico’s portion going to the state’s general fund. The settlement document (consent decree) was filed together with the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and requires the company to take numerous steps to ensure that 422 well pads covered by the consent decree and located in New Mexico and Texas are operated lawfully.

In addition to the $4 million fine, Apache will also spend at least $4.5 million to implement extensive design, operation, maintenance and monitoring improvements, including installing new tank pressure monitoring systems that will provide advance notification of potential emissions and allow for immediate response action by the company. Apache will also spend over $1 million to offset the harm caused by the alleged violations by replacing, on an accelerated schedule, more than 400 pollutant-emitting pneumatic devices with non-emitting devices.

Pound for pound, methane is approximately 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of its impact on global warming. Accordingly, a reduction of 900 tons of annual methane reductions equates to more than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and is akin to eliminating the use of more than 2.5 million gallons of gasoline annually. Greenhouse gases from human activities are a primary cause of climate change and global warming. This enforcement settlement furthers EPA’s commitment to deliver public health protections against climate-impacting pollution and other pollutants for communities across America and helps deliver on EPA’s top commitment in its strategic plan, which is to tackle the climate crisis.

The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria pollutants that are considered harmful to public health and the environment. Ozone is a criteria pollutant that is created when oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and VOCs react in the atmosphere. VOCs and NOx are emitted by oil and gas production facilities, such as those operated by Apache. During the timeframes of Apache’s alleged violations, air quality monitors in the relevant counties in New Mexico registered rising ozone concentrations exceeding 95% of the NAAQS for ozone. In counties where ozone levels reach 95% of the NAAQS, NMED is required by New Mexico state statute to take action to reduce ozone pollution.

Apache Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of APA Corporation, which is engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources in the United States. Apache Corporation is a large producer in the Permian Basin, which is a shale oil and gas producing area located in southeast New Mexico and West Texas.

This settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Mitigating Climate Change. EPA also has a webpage  on this settlement.

The Justice Department’s Environmental Enforcement Section lodged today’s proposed consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. The settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. The Federal Register notice will also include instructions for submitting public comment.

Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation into Civilian Death in Queens

 

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of a civilian who died on February 12, 2024 following an encounter with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Queens County. 

At 10:54 a.m. on February 12, NYPD officers responded to reports of shots fired at an apartment on Beach 51st Street in Queens. After arriving at the apartment, officers encountered a man who was allegedly holding what appeared to be a gun. The officers ordered him to drop the gun and when he failed to do so, an officer fired his service weapon. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered a BB gun at the scene.  

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident. 

These are preliminary facts and subject to change. 

Governor Hochul Announces Permanent Protection of 14,600 Acres of Ecologically Unique and Historically Significant Adirondack Forests, Wetlands, and Watershed

 

New Public-Private Research Consortium Will Guide Scientific Research of Globally Rare Ecosystem at Follensby Pond

New Conservation Easement Will Provide New Public Recreational Access to Raquette River Watershed  

Governor Kathy Hochul announced a historic agreement with The Nature Conservancy to permanently protect more than 14,600 acres of ecologically rare and culturally significant natural resources in the Adirondacks through two conservation easements and a research consortium initiative with New York State. This collaboration will provide new public recreational access in the Raquette River corridor and establish a first-of-its-kind freshwater research preserve to advance shared knowledge of freshwater ecosystems. The agreement permanently protects the Follensby Pond watershed and habitat that is situated in Haudenosaunee and Abenaki homelands and served as the base of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ‘Philosophers’ Camp.’

“New Yorkers and visitors to this special region of the Adirondacks have long recognized the singular beauty and significance of Follensby Pond and the Raquette River,” Governor Hochul said. “In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy and many partners, we are preserving a unique natural resource so that all New Yorkers can enjoy this treasured and historic region for generations to come."

The ecologically, historically, and culturally significant property is located primarily in the town of Harrietstown, with a portion in the town of Tupper Lake, in Franklin County. The 14,645-acre parcel was first purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 2008 and includes 10 miles of frontage on the Raquette River and the 958-acre Follensby Pond. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and The Nature Conservancy entered into contracts for the State to purchase the two easements that will achieve a crucial balance between providing enhanced recreational opportunities in an area adjacent to State Forest Preserve lands and protecting a globally rare ecosystem while recognizing the long-term relationships that Indigenous People have with the region. The easements recently went under contract and are expected to close in early 2024.

Both the Raquette River and Follensby Pond parcels are priority projects in the State’s Open Space Conservation Plan and together form the largest protection of open space since the historic Finch Pruyn acquisition in 2012. DEC will pay The Nature Conservancy approximately $9.3 million in addition to other reimbursable transaction expenses for the conservation easements using resources from the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects water sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational opportunities for New Yorkers. Among the many environmental victories in the 2023-24 State Budget, Governor Hochul maintained EPF funding at $400 million, the highest level of funding in the program's history.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Community Resources & Updates

 

Dear Neighbor,

Thank you for joining us for another week in review. We hope you and your loved ones are staying warm this evening.

New York City Public Schools will be open and resume in-person classes tomorrow. All programs and activities will also be held as scheduled. However, residents are advised to use extra caution while traveling, as below-freezing temperatures may cause icy roadways and sidewalks during the evening and morning commute. For any additional updates, Sign Up for Notify NYC. Through Notify NYC, you can receive phone calls, text messages, and/or email alerts about weather events. To sign up for Notify NYC, visit Notify NYC online, call 311, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter. 

We also hope you will join us and the New York State Department of Labor as we host our 2nd Annual Bronx Career Fair this Thursday at Borough Hall from 10 AM - 2 PM. You will have the opportunity to speak to future employers and explore various career options.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

 

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

Heartbreaking news out of our Mount Eden community. Monday evening, we learned of a horrific shooting in our subway system. We encourage anyone with information on last night’s shooting in Mount Eden to please contact the authorities at 1-800-577-TIPS.

IN THE COMMUNITY

We are sounding the alarm on the increase of new HIV diagnoses we are seeing in our Black and Latino communities in the Bronx. Even as we have made significant strides in ending the epidemic, disparities continue to persist. According to data released by the New York City Health Department, in 2022, 1,624 people were newly diagnosed with HIV. Forty-three percent (43%) of newly diagnosed people were Black, and 40% were Latino/Hispanic.

We are calling for: 

Additional HIV testing in communities of color

Increasing access to PReP & PEP and other preventative care measures 

Support for our healthcare providers and credible messengers who understand the unique needs of our communities 

What we are doing: 

Partnering with Link NYC to disseminate information to at-risk neighborhoods 

Working with our LGBTQIA+ Task Force and HIV Roundtable to develop public policy recommendations to address this crisis

Our Black History Month celebration was a huge success! Thank you to our emcee, performers, keynote speaker, honorees, and everyone else who showed up and showed out to celebrate Black culture and history in our borough.

A new Mobile Medication Unit is coming to the Bronx. Thank you to the Acacia Network for ensuring our residents have access to bilingual, culturally competent, trauma-informed care, so we can continue to combat the opioid epidemic in our communities.

We want to thank the team at Univision for coming to the Bronx and highlighting the amazing things happening in our borough. From healthcare to education, economic development, tourism – there is so much for us to be proud of.

We look forward to our continued partnership with Univision connecting our Spanish -speaking residents to vital resources and information.

UPCOMING EVENTS

RESOURCES

Carpenters Recruit Apprentices

 

The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the New York City District Council of Carpenters will conduct a recruitment from March 13, 2024 through February 12, 2025 for 25 carpenter apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced today.

Applicants must attend an in-person information session at the New York City District Council of Carpenters Training Center (NYCDCC Training Center), 395 Hudson Street (Clarkson Street entrance) 2nd floor, New York, New York 10014. Information sessions will be held on the second Wednesday of each month from 9 AM-10 AM for all trades during the recruitment period excluding the months of December and January. There will be no admittance after 9 AM. Off-site information sessions and virtual information sessions may be added if necessary. In order to receive an application, applicants must provide government-issued picture identification.

Please note, spaces are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applicants must sign in during the in-person information session. Failure to sign in will disqualify the individual from further consideration. At the conclusion of the information session, applicants will receive a passcode, which will allow them to access the application online. Applications will be available online during the recruitment period at www.nyccarpenterstrainingcenter.org. Completed applications must be submitted and received through the website portal (www.nyccarpenterstrainingcenter.org) within 60 days from the date of the information session. Failure to comply will disqualify the individual from further consideration.

Applications that meet all requirements will be scheduled for an interview at a future date. Applicants will only be allowed one interview and those that do not arrive on time to their scheduled interview will be disqualified from further consideration. Applicants will be provided with an instruction sheet and a list of original documents that will be required if they are accepted into the program.

The Committee requires that applicants:

• Must be at least 17 years old at the time of application.
• Must have a high school diploma or a high school equivalency diploma (such as TASC or GED). Proof will be required after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship.
• Must be physically able to perform the work of the trade without posing a direct threat to the safety of themselves or others.
• Must be physically able to perform the work of a Carpenter which may include:
• Working on scaffolds and in confined spaces.
• Working under conditions of inclement weather, such as rain, snow, cold, hear and direct sunlight,
• Performing constant repetitive motions.
• Climbing and working from heights.
• Lifting items weighing a minimum of 50 pounds.
• Standing and stooping for prolonged periods of time.
• Must pass a substance abuse screening, at the expense of the sponsor, within 48 hours of selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship, at a designated collection site designated by the JATC. Applicants that do not pass the substance abuse screening will be notified and disqualified from further consideration.
• Must agree to and sign Apprentice drug testing policy which provides for pre-enrollment testing, random testing, for-cause testing and post-accident testing.
• Must agree to sign Apprentice handbook which is subject to change anytime.
• Must travel to off-site training and agree to be financially responsible for certain costs related to such training in the event that the apprentice cancels, fails to show up or fails to successfully complete the program.
• Must be able to read, hear and understand verbal instructions and warnings in English.
• Must provide proof (detailed examples) of any trade-related experience, certification, or education, after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or have the legal right to work in the United States. Proof will be required after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship.
• Must have reliable means of transportation to and from various job sites and classes at the approved school.
• Must provide DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, if applicable, after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship.

For further information, applicants should contact New York City District Council of Carpenters at (212) 727-2224. Additional job search assistance can be obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center (see: dol.ny.gov/career-centers)

Apprentice programs registered with the Department of Labor must meet standards established by the Commissioner. Under state law, sponsors of programs cannot discriminate against applicants because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, or marital status. Women and minorities are encouraged to submit applications for apprenticeship programs. Sponsors of programs are required to adopt affirmative action plans for the recruitment of women and minorities.

Attorney General James and NYSED Commissioner Rosa Secure $750,000 from College Board for Violating Students’ Privacy

New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York State Education Department (NYSED) Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced a $750,000 settlement with College Board for violating students’ privacy and unlawfully selling their personal data. For years, College Board collected students’ personal information when they took the PSAT, SAT, and AP exams in school, and then licensed this data to colleges, scholarship programs, and other customers who used it to solicit students to participate in their programs. In 2019 alone, College Board improperly licensed the information of more than 237,000 New York students who took their exams. In addition, College Board improperly sent promotional materials to students who signed up for College Board accounts in connection with exams or AP courses. As a result of today’s agreement, College Board must pay $750,000 in penalties and will be prohibited from monetizing New York students’ data that it acquires through its contracts with New York schools and school districts. 

“Students have more than enough to be stressed about when they take college entrance exams, and shouldn’t have to worry about their personal information being bought and sold,” said Attorney General James. “New York law requires organizations like College Board to protect the data they collect from students when they take their exams in school, not sell it to customers for a profit. I want to thank Commissioner Rosa for her work on this investigation to ensure we hold College Board accountable and protect New York students’ privacy.”   

“When the organizations we trust to provide meaningful services to our students exploit student information for profit, it violates privacy laws as well as the public trust,” said Commissioner Betty A. Rosa. “We will continue to ensure that every student’s information is appropriately utilized and protected. We are grateful to the Attorney General for her collaboration in protecting the interests of the students and families of New York.”

College Board is a New York-based non-profit institution that develops and administers standardized tests, primarily to high school students who take them as part of the college admissions process. It also develops other college readiness programs, such as AP courses, and has a contract with NYSED to subsidize AP exam fees for low-income students. In addition, College Board operates the Student Search Service (Search), in which it licenses data it collects from students — including their names, contact information, ethnicity, GPAs, and test scores — to customers like colleges and scholarship programs to use for recruiting students. 

Beginning in 2010, College Board contracted with New York schools and school districts to allow schools to offer the PSAT and SAT exams during the school day and to pay for the students’ exam fees. In the past five years, approximately 20 New York schools or school districts, including the New York City Department of Education, which operates more than 500 high schools, have entered into such contracts. Schools across New York have also consistently signed agreements with College Board to offer AP courses and exams.  

An investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) revealed that prior to June 2022, College Board solicited students to provide information, such as their GPA, anticipated course of study, interest in a religiously affiliated college and religious activities, and parents’ level of income, during the administration of PSAT, SAT, and AP exams, as well as when students signed up for a College Board online account. Although providing this data for participation in Search was optional, students were solicited to participate in the urgent context of an important exam and were encouraged to sign up because it would connect them with scholarship and college opportunities. From 2018-2022, College Board licensed New York student data to over 1,000 institutions through Search and received significant revenue from data related to New York students who took PSAT, SAT, or AP exams during the school day.     

The investigation further found that College Board improperly used student data for its own marketing. Until fall 2022, College Board used student data collected in connection with PSAT and SAT exams administered during the school day to send marketing communications. In addition, until 2023, when New York students registered for the AP program, they were solicited to opt in to receiving College Board marketing materials. 

Under New York law, it is illegal to use student data obtained under a contract with a New York educational agency for commercial or marketing purposes. The investigation found College Board improperly used student data obtained in connection with PSAT and SAT exams administered during the school day and the AP program by licensing student data to Search clients and using student data to send its own marketing materials.  

Under the settlement announced today, College Board must pay $750,000 in penalties, disgorgement, and costs to the state. College Board is also prohibited from using New York student data it collects or receives in connection with a contract with a New York educational agency for any marketing or commercial purposes. This includes data obtained from administering PSAT, SAT, or AP exams during the school day. In addition, College Board cannot solicit students to participate in Search or similar programs during these exams.