Res. No. 1243
Resolution in support of the Urban Jobs Act of 2011, S. 922.
By Council Members James, Chin, Dromm, Eugene, Jackson, Koppell, Lander, Levin, Palma, Rose, Vann, Williams, Wills, Mendez and Mark-Viverito
Whereas, According to the Community Service Society, one in five persons between the ages of 17 and 24, totaling approximately 173,000 individuals in New York City, is neither attending school nor working; and
Whereas, One third of those individuals lack a high school diploma, are profoundly disadvantaged in obtaining employment and are at risk of living a life in poverty; and
Whereas, Unemployment data from the Economic Policy Institute noted that, in the third quarter of 2011, the New York State jobless rate for African Americans was 14 percent and 10.7 percent for Hispanics while the State rate overall was 8 percent; and
Whereas, A 2011 joint analysis from Columbia University and Queens College at the City University of New York (CUNY) estimated that "
[United States] taxpayers shouldered more than $93 billion to compensate for lost taxes and direct costs to support the young people disconnected from jobs and school;" and
Whereas, The purpose of this Act is to provide suitable resources for national nonprofit organizations to prevent and reduce the disproportionate incarceration of disconnected youth, especially minority youth, and place these individuals on a path to economic self-sufficiency and opportunities for advancement; and
Whereas, The Urban Jobs Act of 2011 (S. 922) is federal legislation that would amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to authorize the United States Secretary of Labor to provide competitive grants to national nonprofit organizations to operate an Urban Jobs program in partnership with local affiliates; and
Whereas, The Urban Jobs program would offer a set of services such as job placement, mentoring, internships, on-the-job training, GED preparation, reading and math remediation, educational enrichment and post-secondary education; and
Whereas, The Urban Jobs program would also include support services such as child care, health and nutrition referral and transportation and housing assistance; and
Whereas, New York City continues to face the dual challenges of a lack of opportunity for at-risk youth and the lack of skilled entry-level talent for employers, and it is critical that government pursues policies that help aid the workforce and support particularly vulnerable populations; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York supports the Urban Jobs Act of 2011, S. 922.
AS
LS 2804
LS 3145
3/5/12