CDO Workforce coordinates and focuses employment, training and education development resources across three counties, providing service to employed people, unemployed people and employers alike. Our goal is to improve the long-term growth and development of the work force.
Check out the news, opportunities and events in our October newsletter! We've got a lot to share with you this month.
The NYS Workforce Strategy Group, a group convened by Invest in Skills NY (ISNY), has released a range of policy, funding and programmatic recommendations to address persistent labor market issues that were exacerbated by Covid-19.
The report, A New Way Forward: Bold Actions to Reshape New York’s Labor Market, compiles immediate, short-term, and long-term actions for Governor Andrew Cuomo and state policymakers to stabilize the economy and workers; to get more New Yorkers trained for the jobs of today and tomorrow; and to rebuild, rethink and reform that state’s workforce and training systems.
“This crisis has afforded New York a real shot, and truly an imperative, to be deliberate about how we rebuild our labor market and workforce,” said Melinda Mack, co-chair of ISNY and executive director of New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals. “Tapping into New York’s leading experts, the NYS Workforce Strategy Group has laid out pragmatic, actionable and achievable steps that will ultimately help New Yorkers get back on their feet and ultimately access better jobs. ”
The recommendations focus on:
• Getting New Yorkers back to work by stabilizing small businesses, the working poor and eliminating barriers to employment
• Using existing federal and state funding, state authority and increased coordination to expand opportunity for all New Yorkers
• Rebuilding local and regional labor markets with an emphasis on quality job growth
• Deepening the coordination of economic and workforce development
The NYS Workforce Strategy Group included representatives from business intermediaries, leading workforce providers and advocates all with the common goal of supporting an equitable economic recovery and getting New Yorkers back to work.
The NYS Workforce Strategy Group recommendations follow ISNY's “Accounting for Success: A Blueprint for Measuring the Performance of New York State’s Workforce Development System” report, which aims to guide policymakers in the development of a statewide, 21st century data system for workforce development. "A 21st century workforce development strategy must be able to answer basic questions on the performance of the system to ensure that we are effectively connecting labor supply with labor demand," said Marjorie Parker, president and CEO of JobsFirstNYC, a co-chair organization of ISNY.
"We need your support to make sure that the recommendations that have been developed are adopted and implemented across New York. Sign on today to show your support!"
"Join us on Wednesday, October 7th at 10am for a full overview of the A New Way Forward: Bold Actions to Reshape New York’s Labor Market report"
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Previously Ineligible New York State Small Businesses Can Receive Low-Interest Working Capital Loans.
Available to Small Businesses That Received PPP Assistance of $50,000 or Less.
Empire State Development (ESD) today announced that Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) recipients are now eligible to receive low-interest loans from the New York Forward Loan Fund (NYFLF). This conditional change will provide the Fund's network of lenders and financial institutions with greater flexibility and enable them to provide more small businesses with working capital to cover expenses associated with reopening.
ESD Acting Commissioner, and President and CEO-delegate Eric Gertler said, "The coronavirus pandemic was an unprecedented challenge to the state’s business community, of which ninety-eight percent are small businesses. Providing assistance and opportunity – particularly to our state’s minority- and women-owned businesses – to help them reopen is essential toward revitalizing our economy and building New York back better."
When the NYFLF launched in May, the federal Small Business Administration had just issued rules regarding companies’ eligibility for federal assistance. The goal of the NYFLF was to help New York-based small businesses that did not receive PPP funding with flexible working capital to reopen and adapt to post-COVID needs. Companies with 20 employees or less make up 90% of New York’s business community, and it was critical to provide a funding lifeline to those businesses shut out of federal assistance.
However, some NYFLF applicants who needed assistance were deemed ineligible because they had already received PPP funds. Through discussions with lenders and applicants, it became apparent that PPP loans did not go far enough to support New York-based small businesses. Legislative criteria restricted how the government assistance could be spent, and oftentimes PPP amounts were a fraction of what was needed and requested.
Starting today, NYFLF Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) will contact previously ineligible applicants to determine if they are still interested in funding and begin the underwriting process. This is limited to small businesses who received $50,000 or less in PPP assistance. The fund is prepared to process the new applications from this change while also working with existing applicants. Small business who did not receive any federal assistance are still eligible and encouraged to apply. Additionally, the program goal of providing at least 60% of loans to Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) remains, and that goal will not change due to the newly-expanded eligibility.
Eligible small businesses and small residential landlords can apply for a 60-month, no-fee loan with a 3% fixed interest rate; while eligible non-profits can apply for a 60-month, no-fee loan at 2% fixed interest. The maximum loan amount is $100,000. Loan funds can be used for working capital including payroll, operating and emergency maintenance, property taxes, utilities and costs associated with refitting physical space to follow social distancing guidelines. More information is available online at nyloanfund.com.
The five CDFIs processing applications are Accion East, Community Preservation Corporation, National Development Council, Pursuit and TruFund Financial Services. Seven banks have pledged support for the New York Forward Loan Fund: Apple Bank, BNB Bank, Evans Bank, HSBC, M&T Bank, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. Additionally, the fund has received philanthropic commitments from the BlackRock Charitable Fund, Citi Foundation, Ford Foundation, and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. The New York Forward Loan Fund was established with support from Calvert Impact Capital. The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is administering the fund, and Connect2Capital is hosting applications.
About Empire State Development
Empire State Development (ESD) is New York’s chief economic development agency. The mission of ESD is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation of new job and economic opportunities, increase revenues to the State and its municipalities, and achieve stable and diversified local economies. Through the use of loans, grants, tax credits and other forms of financial assistance, ESD strives to enhance private business investment and growth to spur job creation and support prosperous communities across New York State. ESD is also the primary administrative agency overseeing Governor Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Councils and the marketing of "I LOVE NY," the State’s iconic tourism brand. For more information on Regional Councils and Empire State Development, please visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov.
The Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council has compiled a list of local and federal COVID-19 resources.
Public-Private Partnership between New York State Office for the Aging, BellAge, Inc., and Association on Aging in New York
CV19 CheckUp Tool Developed by BellAge Offers Individualized Support Options to Help Reduce Risk and Enhance Quality of Life for High Risk New Yorkers of All Ages: newyork.cv19checkup.org
The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), in partnership with BellAge, Inc., and the Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY) has announced the launch of CV19 CheckUp in New York State, a free, anonymous, personalized online tool that evaluates an individual’s risks associated with COVID-19 based on their life situation and individual behavior and provides recommendations and resources to reduce those risks.
“There has been a lot of misinformation about COVID-19 and the risks associated with contracting and spreading the virus,” said NYSOFA Acting Director Greg Olsen. “This tool, which we will make available to all New Yorkers, helps individuals understand their risk based on their life situation and personal behavior and offers recommendations to reduce those risks while also connecting people to services, if needed.”
The tool was developed by BellAge to help people be safer, healthier, and ensure their individual needs are met during the pandemic. CV19 CheckUp fills a critical need for a comprehensive resource that educates, advises, and empowers individuals to help protect themselves from COVID-19.
CV19 CheckUp employs artificial intelligence to analyze data each person provides by completing an online questionnaire. It is designed for those who are considered high risk, including older adults, low income individuals, ethnic and racial minorities, and LGBTQ communities. The tool’s algorithms are driven by science and medicine, using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). CV19 CheckUp is free to users. It is anonymous and does not require a name, email address, or identifier of any type.
Upon completion of the anonymous questionnaire, CV19 CheckUp immediately delivers a personalized report.
The report answers questions such as:
• How likely am I to get COVID-19 or spread it to others?
• If I get COVID-19, how severe would it likely be?
• What steps can I take to reduce my risks of getting COVID-19?
• Where can I find help to ensure my needs are met during the pandemic?
The individualized approach that defines CV19 CheckUp will deliver much needed support to those who are hardest hit by COVID-19, including the more than 4.3 million New Yorkers age 60 and older, as well as those with underlying health conditions and/or compromised immune systems. The CDC has described these people as being at higher risk of severe or fatal consequences if they are infected with COVID-19.
Some high-risk individuals are not following all the recommended behaviors to lessen their chances of becoming infected, and some may be experiencing unmet service needs due to Matilda’s Law. And as New York State continues to move forward with reopening, some lower-risk individuals have begun to relax social distancing and practice unsafe behaviors, which threaten the health and well-being of those who are at higher risk.
CV19 CheckUp assesses each person’s unique situation and presents options to help reduce risk and enhance quality of life.
Jim Firman, Chief Innovation Officer, BellAge, Inc., said, “CV19 CheckUp was developed to fill an urgent public need. Our team realized that although there are many resources with information about the virus, all of them require a lot of effort by the user. The average person has to spend considerable time on numerous websites, digging through pages of information looking for answers that are relevant to their specific situation. CV19 CheckUp does the work for them. We developed a hyper-personalized tool that makes it easy for anyone to understand their level of risk and take steps to reduce those risks.”
Becky Preve, Executive Director, Association on Aging in New York said, “The ability to provide this tool to older New Yorkers, their families, and caregivers will ensure accurate information and screening of those at risk. We are extremely excited for this partnership, and for our network to continue to provide such vital services to New York State. The Association on AgingNY is thankful to NYSOFA and BellAge for this innovative new approach to combating the spread of COVID-19.”
Prabhjot Singh, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical & Scientific Advisor, BellAge, Inc., said, “As New York continues reopening, at-risk residents need personalized and scientifically sound information to stay safe during the ongoing pandemic. CV19 CheckUp was developed to ensure that every New Yorker has access to guidance that fits their circumstance.”
In addition, through CV19 CheckUp, governments and health organizations also receive data that will help facilitate developing methods to help target populations that are at high risk for COVID-19. Data are completely anonymous, and findings can be used to gain insights on:
• What people know and believe about the pandemic
• Compliance levels with recommended safety protocols
• Behaviors by location, race, ethnicity, economic status, etc.
• Unmet needs for health care, social services, financial support
To learn more, please visit newyork.cv19checkup.org.
The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) continuously works to help the state’s 4.3 million older adults be as independent as possible for as long as possible through advocacy, development and delivery of person-centered, consumer-oriented, and cost-effective policies, programs, and services that support and empower older adults and their families, in partnership with the network of public and private organizations that serve them.
New York is nationally recognized for being the first age-friendly state in the nation. Using the state’s Prevention Agenda as the overarching framework, in 2017, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo launched a Health Across All Policies approach, where public and private partners work together to positively impact population health by marrying health care, preventive health, and community design, in concert with addressing social determinants of health, to improve the lives of all New Yorkers, young and old.
Stay connected—download the NYSOFA mobile app for iOS or Android; visit the NYSOFA Facebook page; follow @NYSAGING on Twitter and NYSAging on Instagram; or visit aging.ny.gov.
About BellAge, Inc.
BellAge, Inc. is a public benefit company founded in April 2020 by nationally recognized leaders in aging, technology and artificial intelligence. The company’s mission is to help millions of older adults across the world age better through systems that use artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. BellAge’s first expert system, CV19 CheckUp, was developed to provide hyper-personalized assistance by educating and informing people of their risk levels associated with COVID-19, and offering recommendations about how to mitigate those risks. More information is at https://bellage.org.
About the Association on Aging in New York
The Association on Aging in New York (AgingNY) supports and advocates for New York’s 59 mostly county-based Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and works collaboratively with a network of organizations that exist to promote independence, preserve dignity, and provide support for residents of New York State as they age. For more information, visit www.agingny.org or call 518-449-7080.
Our goal is to help job seekers not just find a job, but develop and manage a career. That means helping them when they have a job and when they are looking. We also strive to help employers find the workers they need quickly and the resources to improve training, workforce retention and workforce restructuring.
A DRC is a Disability Resource Coordinator, someone who helps individuals with disabilities find employment.
High School Equivalency (HSE/GED) A high school equivalency or GED/HSE is a recognized alternative to a high school diploma.
Work-Based Learning (WBL) provides students and job seekers with real-life work experience that compliments their academic studies. Typically they include job shadowing, mentoring, internships, and apprenticeships.
A Team Helper is anyone who is the lead support person to the job seeker with disabilities along their career journey. It can be a family member, friend, employment counselor, Disability Resource Coordinator (DRC), or case manager.
A stop-gap job is temporary employment until something better or more permanent can be obtained.
Basic needs refers to the goods and services necessary for a minimum standard of living. This includes access to food, safe shelter, clothing, and sanitation. Reliable transportation and education can also be considered a basic need.
A safe space is intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations.
Competitive integrated employment (CIE) is work performed by a person with an impairment or health-related disability (health impairment) within an integrated setting. Wages are at least minimum wage or higher and at a rate comparable to non-disabled workers performing the same tasks.
For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education.
