Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $42 million has been awarded for the Youth Employment Program, which helps reduce community gun violence and youth criminal justice involvement by providing year-round employment and training opportunities to at-risk youth in parts of the state, outside of New York City, most impacted by gun violence. Launched in 2024, the program plays an important role in New York State\u2019s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, which operates in the 21 counties that receive GIVE funding, as provided by the Division of Criminal Justice Services.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs New York\u2019s first mom governor, I\u2019ll never stop fighting to make our communities safer and provide our youth with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed,\u201d Governor Hochul said. \u201cThe Youth Employment Program is a core part of my administration\u2019s comprehensive approach to reduce gun violence in communities across New York State, while providing at-risk youth with year-round work and training opportunities that will help them build strong futures.\u201d<\/p>\n
The $42 million awarded includes investments in work and training opportunities for young people in regions that receive support from the GIVE initiative. This funding is expected to provide paid work and training opportunities for at least 2,500 low-income youth across these areas of the state from September 2026 to June 2027.<\/p>\n
RegionAmountCapital Region$2,822,533Central New York$3,447,247Finger Lakes$4,258,178Long Island$8,375,321Mid-Hudson$11,407,290Mohawk Valley$1,553,566North Country$567,829Southern Tier$2,184,822Western New York$7,383,214Total$42,000,000<\/p>\n
The Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is distributing $42 million in funds for the Youth Employment Program to local departments of social services, including an increase of $1.4 million over last year, to account for increases in the minimum wage. The program supports local efforts to provide young people at risk of gun violence with year-round employment and educational opportunities in conjunction with services provided through the Summer Youth Employment Program. Paid employment is an integral component of the Youth Employment Program, which may also include educational and career exploration activities to better prepare youth as they continue their education and transition to the world of work.<\/p>\n
Research shows that vulnerable, unemployed youth can face struggles later in life, including poverty, dependence on public assistance programs, and criminal justice involvement. In addition, youth exposed to trauma and violence may suffer long-term harmful effects later in life, including barriers to successful employment and financial stability.<\/p>\n
In the first two years of the program, participants have worked in school districts, libraries, restaurants, camps\/childcare programs and various community organizations.<\/p>\n
The 2026-2027 Youth Employment Program will operate from September 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. To be eligible for the program, youth must be between the ages of 14 and 20 and have a household income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which varies by household size and, for example, is $54,640 for a family of three.<\/p>\n
Youth Employment Program providers are encouraged to collaborate with local law enforcement and other local organizations serving at-risk youth and must collaborate with local SNUG Street Outreach programs if such programs are available in their community. The SNUG Street Outreach program, administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, uses a public health approach to address gun violence by identifying the source, interrupting the transmission, and treating individuals, families, and communities affected by the violence.<\/p>\n
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, \u201cWe are grateful to Governor Hochul for making landmark investments that uplift New York\u2019s youth and families and support safer and stronger communities. The Youth Employment Program provides income, valuable work experience, training and support to at-risk youth living in communities most directly impacted by gun violence. All New Yorkers benefit when we can help protect our youth from the destructive cycle of gun and other community violence and give them the skills and confidence they need to be successful in school and prepare to enter the workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, \u201cA young person\u2019s first job is about so much more than a paycheck \u2014 it is a critical stepping stone that builds confidence, teaches essential skills, and opens doors to a lifetime of career success. By connecting at-risk youth with meaningful employment and training opportunities, the Youth Employment Program empowers the next generation of New York\u2019s workforce while fostering safer, more vibrant communities. I applaud Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to investing in our youth and ensuring every young New Yorker has the tools they need to thrive in the modern economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, \u201cYoung people thrive when they are heard and guided to develop their own sense of purpose and pursue meaningful opportunities like employment, job training, and mentorship. These investments by Governor Hochul are another way that New York State is helping young people discover their strengths, gain valuable experience and build brighter futures. I am proud that the combined efforts of OTDA, DCJS and our other State agency partners are working to improve safety for all New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n
New York State Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden said, \u201cYouth employment is a proven strategy to prepare young people for eventual self-sufficiency, but also to divert at-risk youth from the lures of street crime and illegal ways of making money. Recognizing the important role youth employment plays in developing employability skills, the Office of Children and Family Services applauds Governor Hochul for the many resources she has made available to prepare the future workforce, starting with training opportunities and job creation throughout New York State. It is also wise that state agencies are collaborating with local municipalities and non-profit organizations to ensure that efficacious interventions, inclusive of SNUG Street Outreach programs, are offered year-round in the communities that need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n
Assemblymember Maritza Davila said, \u201cProviding young people with employment, training and educational opportunities is one of the most effective ways we can help them build a positive future all while strengthening our communities. This $42 million investment gives at-risk youth the opportunity to develop valuable skills, gain work experience and connect with mentors and supportive community organizations, while helping address the conditions that can contribute to gun violence and involvement in the criminal justice system.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $42 million has been awarded for the Youth Employment Program, which helps reduce…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":354596,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-354595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=354595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354595\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/354596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=354595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=354595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=354595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}