ALBANY – Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D, Newburgh) calling on the State Department of Labor to undertake major reforms of the agency’s workforce development programs.
“Just as we do not build bridges to nowhere, we should not be wasting taxpayer dollars to equip our residents with skills that take them nowhere,” he said. “The Department of Labor should be replicating successful programs, eliminating the bureaucratic red tape that’s keeping New Yorkers unemployed or underemployed, and connecting job seekers to training that will lead to good-paying jobs. “
The lawmaker said too many young people in the cities of Newburgh and Poughkeepsie “feel hopeless about their futures, often turning to gangs or drugs and dropping out of school.” He said there are also “too many adult residents who lack the necessary skills to fill the needs of local employers, who are themselves struggling to satisfy growing demand for their products and services.”
Jacobson called for numerous changes, including:
- making the Department of Labor more welcoming with offices open and accessible for job seekers needing in-person help
- eliminating the requirement that job seekers have a referral from the unemployment office or other state agency in order to receive DOL help
- better connect employers who need workers with the workforce development programs at high schools, BOCES, and community colleges
- refer job seekers to unions to participate in their training and apprenticeship programs
A member of the Labor Committee, Jacobson voiced his concerns and proposals at this week’s Labor Hearing and followed up with a letter to Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon.
