NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced a new vocational training and apprenticeship program that will provide professional opportunities to youth, ages 16 to 24, in foster care. The New York City Administration for Children’s Services’ (ACS) new V-CRED program will support youth in their education, career, and personal development, and is being created in partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The City University of New York (CUNY), and private sector employers. As part of the program, youth will participate in training for professional certification through courses offered by Kingsborough Community College, participate in paid internships/apprenticeships, and have opportunities for employment with the employer hosting the internship. V-CRED will focus on five career pathways: 1) Information Technology, 2) Electrician’s Helper, 3) Allied Health (e.g. Certified Nursing Assistants, EKG Technician), 4) Pharmacy Technicians, and 5) Building Trades.
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“If we don’t educate, we incarcerate, which is why one of my most important jobs is advocating for our youth who have been in foster care or had contact with the juvenile justice system,” said Mayor Adams. “This new V-CRED vocational training and apprenticeship program is going to help our young people prepare for good jobs and a bright future. But it’s about more than learning. It’s about guidance and mentorship because when it comes to helping young people plan their future: We are not going to just let them wing it, we are going to take them under our wing.”
“When young people are given the tools and support they need to succeed, they succeed,” said Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “V-CRED is the perfect example of a collaborative effort that does just this, by providing youth with vocational training, certifications, internships, and apprenticeships that will prepare them for successful careers.”
“ACS is committed to providing young people with the education and career opportunities they deserve, and this new V-CRED vocational training program is one important way we’re working to do that,” said ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. “We know that when we invest in opportunities for our young people, they work hard and seize them. By providing youth in foster care with access to professional certifications, paid internships, and employment opportunities — and keeping these opportunities in place beyond foster care into young adulthood — we are working to ensure they have the right support to pursue their dreams and be successful adults. ACS thanks the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, CUNY and the private sector employers who are involved in this program for their partnership and commitment to helping youth in foster care succeed.”
“VCRED offers all the components that youth need: Paid work experience, postsecondary access, and wraparound supports,” said David Fischer, executive director, Mayor’s Office of Youth Employment. “We are very pleased to support ACS on this highly promising program, and grateful for the generosity of the Kellogg Foundation in making it a reality.”
“The pandemic has wreaked havoc for many children and families, but especially for young people in the foster care system,” said Nara Topp, program officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “We’re pleased to support ACS’s response to this crisis by collaborating with businesses, government, and higher education to provide vocational training and supportive wraparound services to young people in and aging out of foster care as a career pathway towards a more equitable future.”
“This great new partnership combines CUNY’s emphasis on health and medical technology with career pathways, and upskilling New Yorkers, all of which have taken on new importance in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “Our students from V-CRED will parlay the skills and training they obtain at Kingsborough Community College into careers that contribute to the revitalization and rebuilding of their communities, providing further affirmation that the road to New York City’s recovery goes through The City University of New York. We thank Mayor Adams, Commissioner Dannhauser, and the Kellogg Foundation for partnering with the university to create this remarkable initiative.”
“Increasing the accessibility of these training programs is pivotal in this time where there is a growing demand for talent. It is important for us to work towards closing the opportunity gap in New York City, which we know requires us to truly prepare students for careers that can help them to become more self-sufficient,” said Dr. Simone Rodriguez, vice president of workforce development and continuing education and strategic partnerships, Kingsborough Community College, CUNY. “We are delighted to partner with ACS to deliver specialized training to meet that demand.”
“We are excited to partner with ACS in providing a career path for men and women with great attitudes, and reliable and adaptable traits in a time where the construction industry is in need of craft professionals,” said Kelly DiLello, training director, USIS Training Academy, Inc.
V-CRED is one of multiple strategies that ACS is currently implementing to improve educational and employment outcomes for youth in foster care. Research has shown that the most effective programs for older youth in foster care are comprehensive services models that include education, employment, housing, and supportive services. Youth in V-CRED will also benefit from services through the Fair Futures initiative, which provides dedicated coaches, tutors, and education, employment, and housing specialists for youth, ages 11 to 21, in foster care. Youth will also be able to enroll in a career readiness training through Hats and Ladders, an occupation education program designed to motivate and prepare young people for jobs.
V-CRED will begin as a two-year pilot program, serving 90 young people in foster care, 45 youth per year. The program has three core components, which include training for professional certification, paid internships, and job placement. The program is aligned with a career pathways model and provides developmentally appropriate career readiness planning designed to provide each person with a career and education plan, a resume, cover letter, and a professional network that they work to develop.
Paid internships are being provided by private sector employers and community-based agencies that will also offer tangible job opportunities at worksites where youth gain work experience and on-the-job training. The program also includes wrap-around services and participation in the Young Adult Work Opportunities for Rewarding Careers (YA WORC) program — a program offered in collaboration with Columbia University that includes a facilitated support group where youth can share their experiences during training with other youth, ask career questions, and get feedback from training professionals.
Partnerships for training in the industry-focused areas have been developed with Common Point Queens (Pre-HSE/HSE classes) and Kingsborough Community College (Pharmacy Tech and EMT classes) and Metro Placements to ensure youth have access to the specific industry training they desire.
The private sector employers (USIS, Health Max, Walgreens, CVS, etc.) will offer paid internships and apprenticeships to youth that can potentially lead to immediate employment.
“Finding employment, let alone a job that pays a decent living wage, can feel near impossible for young people in foster care. Through no fault of their own, this vulnerable youth group has been denied access and opportunity for professional and personal development, and it is our responsibility to mitigate that and help them secure the tools they need to achieve their dreams,” said U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke. “Our city’s new V-CRED program, spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams, will do just that. Thanks to the dedication of ACS, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and many more passionate change-makers, young people in foster care will have greater access to life-changing training that will enable them to overcome the disadvantages that have held them back. For that, I am forever grateful.”
