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Here Comes the Sun

Here Comes the Sun

How The Fedcap Group is Breaking Down Barriers to the Clean Energy Workforce
With Our Solar Technician Program

April 3, 2023

This past fall, The Fedcap Group launched the Apex Clean Energy Institute—a transformative new program to train and connect individuals to high-demand, well-paying jobs in the growing green energy sector. The first location was at one of our affiliates, Community Work Services, in Boston. The Clean Energy Institute’s first class was a pilot consisting of 15 returning citizens—i.e., formerly incarcerated individuals.

At The Fedcap Group we’re focused on breaking down barriers to economic well-being and a way to meet our mission is to focus on high-growth, high demand workforce sectors. That’s why we launched a 450-hour solar technician program—a program spearheaded by our head of clean energy, Robert Wallace—as the first training at the Apex Clean Energy Institute. “Employment of solar photovoltaic installers is projected to grow 27 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations,” according to a recent federal Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

At the Apex Clean Energy Institute’s December kickoff, there were high-hopes and great enthusiasm for the program to give second chances in profound and meaningful ways. One incoming student said, “That was one of the things that appealed to me about clean energy. The first thing was gainful, sustainable employment—a paycheck … The second thing was I committed some harms—a lot of harm when I was younger … now it is my mission to repair some of those harms. So, reparation in action is important for me.”

As Massachusetts Senate President Pro Tempore, William N. Brownsberger said at the kickoff event, programs like our new solar technician training program are key to helping returning citizens because, “For most people coming out of prison is not so much that they have a record; it’s that they don’t have a record” or a resume with job training and an employment history.

We’re creating that positive track record. Not only does our new solar technician program provide essential skills development in the clean energy sector, it also requires other fundamentals such as financial literacy and successfully finding and interviewing for a job—so graduates are fully prepared to be successful in their careers. In addition, part of The Fedcap Group’s work is to create pathways to constant upskilling opportunities and life-long learning. Working with our partners at Paul Smith’s College—a national leader on sustainability, green energy, and climate change—graduates of our 450-hour solar technician program will receive six college credits to help with future certifications and degrees for further career advancement.

The first cohort has recently finished and the preliminary results are promising. Of the 15 students who entered our inaugural program, 12 (or 80%) have completed the program. And for the three individuals who have yet to complete the program, our team is working with them to finish in the next incoming class.

Of the 12 who completed the program, four have already been offered well-paying, sustainable jobs—with an average salary of $54,000 annually. To put that in perspective, that’s more than 70% higher than the annual minimum wage salary in Boston! The remaining 7 students are currently in the process of obtaining jobs in the solar energy field and on their way to gainful employment in a high-demand field.

Whether it’s getting that first real opportunity or receiving a second chance (like our first cohort of the Apex Clean Energy Institute in Boston did), The Fedcap Group will continue its tireless work to give every individual a shot at economic well-being. The program is off to an encouraging start and we’re planning additional sites so others, like our first class in Boston, may also have a brighter future.

Ahí Viene el Sol

Cómo The Fedcap Group está Derribando Barreras de la Fuerza Laboral de Energía Limpia con Nuestro Programa de Técnicos Solares

3 abril 2023

El otoño pasado, The Fedcap Group lanzó el “Apex Clean Energy Institute”, un nuevo programa transformador para capacitar y conectar a las personas con empleos de alta demanda y bien remunerados en el creciente sector de la energía verde. El primer lugar fue en uno de nuestros afiliados, “Community Work Services”, en Boston. La primera clase piloto del “Clean Energy Institute” fue compuesta por 15 estudiantes que regresaban, es decir, personas anteriormente encarceladas.

En The Fedcap Group estamos enfocados en derribar barreras para el bienestar económico y una forma de cumplir con nuestra misión es enfocarnos en sectores de personal tanto de alto crecimiento como de alta demanda. Es por eso que lanzamos un programa de técnicos solares de 450 horas, un programa dirigido por nuestro jefe de energía limpia, Robert Wallace, como la primera capacitación en el “Apex Clean Energy Institute”. “Se proyecta que el empleo de instaladores solares fotovoltaicos aumentará un 27 por ciento de 2021 a 2031, mucho más rápido que el promedio de todas las otras profesiones”, según un reciente informe del “Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics”.

En el comienzo de diciembre del “Apex Clean Energy Institute”, había tanto grandes esperanzas como un gran entusiasmo por el programa para darles segundas oportunidades de manera profunda y significativa. Un nuevo estudiante dijo: “Esa fue una de las cosas que me atrajo de la energía limpia. La primera cosa fue el empleo remunerado y sostenible, en otras palabras, un cheque de pago… La segunda fue que cometí algunos daños, mucho perjuicio cuando era más joven … Ahora es mi misión reparar algunos de esos daños. Por lo tanto, la reparación en acción es importante para mí”.

Como dijo William N. Brownsberger el presidente Interino del Senado de Massachusetts en el evento de lanzamiento; programas como nuestro nuevo programa de capacitación de técnicos solares es clave para ayudar a los ciudadanos que regresan porque, “Para la mayoría de las personas que salen de prisión no es tanto que tengan un historial; sino es que no tienen uno” o así como no tienen un currículum con capacitación laboral o, un historial de empleo.

Estamos creando estos antecedentes positivos. Nuestro nuevo programa de técnicos solares no solo proporciona el desarrollo de habilidades esenciales en el sector de la energía limpia, sino que también requiere otros principios básicos; como la educación financiera y la búsqueda  así como entrevistas exitosas para un trabajo, es por eso que los graduados están completamente preparados para tener éxito en sus carreras. Además, parte del trabajo del Fedcap Group es crear caminos hacia oportunidades constantes tanto de mejora de habilidades como de aprendizaje permanente. Trabajando con nuestros socios de “Paul Smith’s College”, que es un líder nacional en sostenibilidad, energía verde y cambio climático; los graduados de nuestro programa de 450 horas de técnicos solares recibirán seis créditos universitarios para ayudar con futuras acreditaciones y títulos para un mayor avance profesional.

El primer grupo lo ha terminado recientemente y los resultados preliminares son prometedores. De los 15 estudiantes que ingresaron a nuestro programa inaugural, 12 (o el 80%) han completado el programa. Y para los tres estudiantes que aún no han completado el programa, nuestro equipo está trabajando con ellos para terminar en la próxima clase entrante.

De los 12 que completaron el programa, a cuatro ya se les han ofrecido empleos bien remunerados y sostenibles, con un salario promedio de $ 54,000 anuales. Para poner eso en perspectiva, ¡eso es más del 70% superior al salario mínimo anual en Boston! Los 7 estudiantes restantes están actualmente en el proceso de obtener empleos en el ámbito de la energía solar y en camino a un empleo remunerado en un campo de alta demanda.

Ya sea que estés obteniendo esa verdadera primera oportunidad o recibiendo una segunda (como lo hizo nuestro primer grupo del “Apex Clean Energy Institute” en Boston), The Fedcap Group continuará su incansable trabajo para dar a cada individuo una oportunidad de bienestar económico. El programa ha tenido un comienzo alentador y estamos planeando sitiosadicionales para que otros, como nuestra primera clase en Boston, también puedan tener un futuro más brillante.

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Route Back to Work Can be a Bumpy Ride – Op-Ed by Brian Bell, CEO of Fedcap Scotland

Route Back to Work Can be a Bumpy Ride – Op-Ed by Brian Bell, CEO of Fedcap Scotland

Brian Bell, CEO of Fedcap Scotland and Fedcap Employment in the UK, wrtites for Daily Business Magazine about the challenges faced by people who have been out of the workforce—often due to physical or mental health constraints—and how Fedcap has developed smart solutions to help people obtain employment. 

“We have built some very smart methods of getting feedback from people who use our services at Fedcap, including how we capture and use data and as part of the debate we have been having a look at what is going on for people who have been ‘economically inactive.'” 

Read the full article on the Daily Business Magazine website.

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A Purpose Driven Brand: The ‘Why’ a Business Exists Matters

A Purpose Driven Brand: The ‘Why’ a Business Exists Matters

March 20, 2023

“There is no more strategic issue for a company, or any organization, than its ultimate purpose.”

– Ray Anderson, the former CEO of Interface

Business-to-business (B2B) marketing—or marketing tailored to business or other organizations—is a constantly evolving industry. A review of 2023 B2B trends finds the concepts of purpose driven brands and purpose perception as central to watch for as emerging trends.

According to Branding Strategy Insider a purpose-driven brand is one where the organization has consciously placed its ‘Why’ front and center—in how it communicates, but more importantly, in how it actually behaves in its business conduct. The ‘why’ drives what the organization will and will not do. It defines what services it provides, what products it sells, the people it hires, promotes and rewards—in other words, the heart and soul of how it does business.

Increasingly, brands are including corporate social responsibility (CSR) as part of their brand purpose. CSR is the practice of incorporating social and environmental concerns into a company’s business operations and decision-making. It’s a way for brands to give back to their communities and positively impact the world. To appeal to purpose-driven consumers, brands need to be transparent about their CSR initiatives.

A recent online Porter Novelli Purpose Perception Study that surveyed 1,200 US adults ages 18-69 found that when a brand leads with purpose, it builds a relationship with staff and consumers alike that goes deep. In essence, there was overwhelming support for a company that operated with purpose. The ‘why’ companies do business matters to people.

A purpose-driven brand is fully aligned with profitability. The past perception that the pursuit of profit and the pursuit of purpose as an ‘either profit or purpose’ trade-off, clearly doesn’t align with reality. As the data above show, it’s actually a ‘both profit and purpose’ model—both philosophically and financially. Put simply, it pays to do good.

As Jim Stengel, the former CMO of Procter and Gamble said, “This is not corporate social responsibility, it’s not cause marketing, and it’s not a strategy for philanthropy; it’s a business strategy. Your philanthropy can come out of it, just like your R&D and HR come out of it. But once you choose your purpose—everything else should come out of that.”1

A purpose driven brand results in trust, by both the consumer and the employee, that a company is going to do what it says it is going to do.

In 2021 Forrester published its study entitled The Trust Imperative which found that:

Organizations that succeed at building and continuously reinforcing trust have the unique opportunity to build enduring bonds with customers, attract the best, most dedicated talent, and create unique experiences with an ecosystem of partners and emerging technologies that people embrace, not fear—all while minimizing risk. Every company must embrace this opportunity and commit to trust as a business imperative. 2

The concept of a purpose-driven brand, clearly defining why and how we do what we do and then striving to earn the trust of consumers by reliably living up to the standard, is a driving force within The Fedcap Group. Our very structure as a nonprofit makes us mission-driven, but who we do business with matters as well. We understand our fidelity to our mission of breaking down barriers to economic well-being matters to our funders, donors, and staff—and they hold us to a high standard. Likewise, it matters that our supply chain and other business partners are purpose driven as well.

ENDNOTES:

1. Excerpted from Brand and Talent by Kevin Keohane. Brand and Talent. Kogan Page Publishing. (2014).
2. https://www.forrester.com/blogs/trust-is-your-business-imperative/

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Seacoast Pathways Members Organize Auction, Raising Funds for Clubhouse

Seacoast Pathways Members Organize Auction, Raising Funds for Clubhouse

Seacoast Pathways is a place for adults living with mental illness to come together for purposeful work and meaningful relationships in the NH Seacoast area.

Our online auction raises funds to support the clubhouse’s activities. A range of auction items beginning with bids as low as $5 are available. For supporters who are able to contribute higher amounts, several unique opportunities are also available, from luxury home goods to a weekend retreat in Boston and Martha’s Vineyard.

The auction runs from Sunday, March 12 at noon to Sunday, March 26 at 8 pm.

Seacoast Pathways is an accredited Clubhouse, which means it is run on a proven, evidence-based approach that focuses on strengths and abilities, not on illness. Members collectively work together on various projects—including preparing this fundraiser—to support their mental health. Seacoast Pathways is also working with local employers to place members who are ready to enter or re-enter the workforce with well-matched jobs that can provide more independence and autonomy.

To bid, visit the Seacoast Pathways Auction on the Betterworld.org website.

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Apex Technical School Opens Its Highly Successful Electrician Trade Program in Manhattan

Apex Technical School Opens Its Highly Successful Electrician Trade Program in Manhattan

Program Will Help Fill Critical Need for Electricians for New York and Beyond

New York, March 14—Apex Technical School has launched their highly successful 900-hour electrical training program at The Fedcap Group’s bustling training location at 210 E. 43rd Street in Manhattan. Apex Technical School has provided high-quality training in the trades such as electrical, automotive, plumbing, and HVAC for more than six decades. The Fedcap training center at 210 E. 43rd Street houses the organization’s Food Arts Training Center and is the future home to Paul Smith’s College’s new PSC in NYC culinary program, among other education and workforce training programs.

Apex Technical School’s Electrical and Advanced Electrical Program has enrolled nearly 400 students at the new location. The program introduces students to the National Electric Code and provides electrical classes in electrical safety, blueprints, residential wiring, breakers and fuses, grounding, bonding, conduit bending, motor controls and alarm systems.

“We are thrilled to welcome Apex Technical School to our Manhattan training center,” said Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group. “As we continue to build educational pathways, Apex plays an essential role in providing individuals with not only training for in-demand jobs, but also a path toward higher education that they can return to at a later time. Apex has been helping individuals break through barriers to reach economic well-being for over 60 years and it’s a privilege to partner with them to help meet the nationwide demand for skilled tradespeople, which is projected to continue through the next decade.”

Mark O’Donoghue, Chair of the Board of The Fedcap Group said, “The Fedcap Group’s combination with Apex fueled our efforts to help people into the workforce to where they can upscale to better jobs and support their families. We couldn’t be prouder to have the legacy of Apex and the Cann family to have joined us.”

“Every time we cut a ribbon, what we’re really doing is cutting a path to a better life for a lot of people who would not have the opportunity,” said Steven Markowitz, President of Apex Technical School. “Three months ago we cut a ribbon in Boston to celebrate the Apex Clean Energy Institute, specifically designed for people getting out of the prison system to train them in solar energy so they can get a well-paying job instead of back in prison due to lack of options, and we’re having enormous success. We look forward to building on these programs to bring more options and opportunities to students seeking a path to a better life.”

Luis Rodriguez, a current student, spoke about his search for a fulfilling and sustainable career. “As the first in my family to pursue education after high school, there was a lot of pressure to live up to family expectations and to be a good role model. After studying at Apex, I know how things work. Apex turned out to be a very good decision. I especially loved the hands-on nature of Apex; I learned how to use tools in the right away. The teachers really motivate us to learn, to be motivated, and to discover ourselves. In the first week of May, I’m going to graduate. My family is very proud of me.”

Juan Tocabens, Vice President with Pavion Firecom, Inc., a New York City-based fire alarm systems company, spoke about the quality of education Apex Technical students receive. “This is the first step; we have a five-year apprenticeship program which leads to becoming a journey person. In the last few years, many of the apprentices have come to our company and we see their drive. In fact, most of the apprentices we hire are from Apex. I look forward to my continued participation and collaboration with this organization that does such a fine job.”

Bill Cann, President Emeritus and an alumnus of Apex Technical School, spoke about furthering the legacy of the school founded by his father. “Around the time they formed Fedcap in 1935 to assist World War I veterans with finding work, a young sailor named John Cann joined the Navy, and remained there till the end of World War II, eventually becoming a chief engineer. Years later at Apex Technical School, he was still fondly known as Chief. I know if the Chief was here with us today, he would be very proud of what we’ve done with his legacy with the combination with Fedcap. I want to thank the leadership of Mark and Christine for what they’ve done the last few years, and the current leadership and staff of Apex. I wish great success to them and to the future students.”

Apex Technical School will also be expanding in other high-demand areas, recently announcing a new Home Automation certificate will be a major component of The Fedcap Group’s new digital learning hub at Civic Hall in New York City. Civic Hall will officially open its doors in the first quarter of 2023.

About The Fedcap Group
For 87 years, The Fedcap Group has developed scalable, innovative, and potentially disruptive solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. Serving 340,000 people this past fiscal year, The Fedcap Group provides educational services to every age group, vocational training and job attainment in high-growth industries, as well as support services such as behavioral health services—all targeted to helping people achieve long-term self-sufficiency. The Fedcap Group also invests its time and resources in broader system change—working in partnership with federal, state, and local government to improve the way services are designed, funded, and delivered.

About APEX Technical School
Since 1961, Apex Technical School has enjoyed a rich tradition of service to New Yorkers who know us well for our adult vocational technical school which offers training in skilled trades. Our hands-on training courses give individuals the basic trade and labor skills needed to secure an entry-level position in the field.

Headquartered in Long Island City in Queens, Apex offers 900-hour certificate courses in high demand areas such as: refrigeration, automotive service, welding technology, electrical and advanced electrical, plumbing and construction. All of Apex’s trade programs offer hands-on training in as little as 7 months. Apex is licensed by the New York State Education Department and accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. Apex Technical School is a nonprofit organization and a member of The Fedcap Group.

Contact:
Susan Walsh
swalsh@fedcap.org
212-727-4200

 

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Waiting in the Wings: How Government Can Build Staffing Capacity by Using One of Society’s Most Valuable Assets—Older Adults

Waiting in the Wings: How Government Can Build Staffing Capacity by Using One of Society’s Most Valuable Assets—Older Adults

March 6, 2023

Recently, a New York City-based think tank, 5BORO, released a report that found that the City of New York lost 20,000 net employees since 2020. The 5BORO report states that the loss of human capital in City government has resulted in, “wide-reaching impacts, impeding the delivery and quality of services to New Yorkers and delaying the fulfillment of legal mandates and key commitments.”1

The report also points out that New York City’s already overtaxed workforce is compounded by a possible recession and the subsequent measures necessary to control spending. One of those measures has been to eliminate vacant positions within government—about 4,300, but even after those reductions, there are still 23,000 vacant positions that need to be filled within NYC government.

To address this problem, the 5BORO report makes three core recommendations:

    • Implement a comprehensive retention strategy, including creating a Chief Retention Officer to stem the tide of workers leaving City government.
    • Deploy a strategic recruitment plan, including designating a Chief Recruitment Officer.
    • Updating City employment policies, e.g., streamlining the bureaucratic hiring process and building in greater workforce flexibility in the post-Covid era.

Many industries are adapting new hybrid work environments and other retention strategies after COVID-19 disrupted every facet of our daily lives, including how we work. Much has been and will continue to be written on this point. Industries will continue to struggle to find the right balance for years to come.

But what stuck out in the report was how to recruit new blood into the body of City government in order to improve service delivery. As the report points out, this isn’t a New York City government-specific problem; governments across the country are facing staffing challenges, particularly recruiting new people in public service. As the report finds, “…State and local governments have struggled to attract talent to public service in recent years: nationwide, applications to these roles declined by 32% per job from 2019 to 2021.”2

We can help close the public confidence in public service gap. And there is a group of highly trained, successful individuals sitting on the sidelines that stand ready to help: individuals over the age of 50.

One of our Fedcap affiliates, ReServe, matches talented 50+ individuals—many retired from successful careers and wishing to give back a little more—with government and social services agencies in need of filling critical workforce gaps. ReServe has a corps of dedicated retired professionals—about three-quarters have a post-secondary degree—who stand ready and willing to be the bridge to building permanent human capital in an organization.3

Since created, ReServe has partnered with more than 800 nonprofits and government agencies to provide a stream of well-qualified successful individuals to meet critically-needed demand. ReServe has already been a successful partner in NYC to build workforce capacity by working with NYC Department for the Aging) to serve dozens of government agencies with more than 800 ReServists in the past several years. For example, one ReServist, David Lau, a 30-year professional—a certified interpreter (English to Chinese) has served as a translator for the New York City Department of Aging. There are countless other examples where ReServists have made a real difference, like David. Hundreds of ReServists served in NYC public health agencies as part of the workforce solution during the COVID-19 crisis in New York City, staffing phone lines, distribution centers for PPE, and promoting and accompanying New Yorkers in their own communities to get tested and vaccinated.

The nonprofit community is uniquely situated to provide valuable short term capacity building, not only through our traditional structure of delivering much-needed societal services; we can also help build staffing capacity within government as well. ReServe has a record of success of doing just that. Let’s take them off the sidelines and put them in the game.

ENDNOTES

1. Grace Rauh, Stephanie Bazell, and Tasfia Nayem, Solving the Staffing Crisis: Saving City Government for New Yorkers (February 2023; pg 4) http://fiveboro.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Solving-the-Staffing-Crisis.pdf.

2. Ibid at 29.

3. See “ReServe: Powering Transformative Change” (page 4) at https://www.reserveinc.org/files/PDFs/ReServe%2010%20Year%20Report.pdf.

Esperando Entre Bastidores: Cómo el Gobierno Puede Desarrollar la Capacidad de Proveer de Personal Utilizando Uno de los Activos Más Valiosos de la Sociedad: Los Adultos Mayores

6 marzo 2023

Recientemente, un grupo de expertos con sede en la ciudad de Nueva York, 5BORO, publicó un informe que encontró que la ciudad de Nueva York perdió 20,000 empleados netos desde 2020. El informe 5BORO afirma que la pérdida de capital humano en el gobierno municipal ha resultado en “impactos de gran alcance, impidiendo el envío y la calidad de los servicios a los neoyorquinos, asi como retrasando el cumplimiento de las órdenes judiciales y compromisos clave”.1

El informe también señala que la fuerza laboral ya sobrecargada de la ciudad de Nueva York se ve agravada por una posible recesión y las medidas subsecuentes necesarias para controlar el gasto. Una de esas órdenes ha sido eliminar puestos vacantes dentro del gobierno, alrededor de 4,300, pero incluso después de esas reducciones, todavía hay 23,000 puestos vacantes que deben llenarse en el gobierno de Nueva York.

Para abordar este problema, el informe 5BORO hace tres recomendaciones básicas:

    • Implementar una estrategia de retención total; incluida la creación de un Director de Retención para detener la ola de trabajadores que abandonan el gobierno de la Ciudad.
    • Desplegar una estrategia de desarrollo, incluido el nombramiento de un Director de Contratación.
    • Mejorar las políticas de la ciudad, por ejemplo: agilizar el proceso burocrático de contratación y fomentar una mayor flexibilidad de la fuerza laboral en la era post-Covid.

Muchas industrias están adaptando nuevos ambientes de trabajo híbridos y otras estrategias de retención después de que COVID-19 interrumpiera todos los aspectos de nuestra vida cotidiana, incluida la forma en que trabajamos. Se ha escrito y se seguirá escribiendo mucho sobre este punto. Las industrias continuarán luchando para encontrar el equilibrio adecuado en los próximos años.

Pero lo que sobresalió en el informe fue; cómo reclutar sangre nueva en el cuerpo del gobierno de la Ciudad para mejorar la prestación de servicios. Como señala el informe, este no es un problema específico del gobierno de la ciudad de Nueva York; Los gobiernos municipales de todo el país se enfrentan a desafíos de personal, en particular la contratación de nuevas personas en el servicio público. Como se señala en el informe, “… Los gobiernos estatales y locales han luchado para atraer talento al servicio público en los últimos años: a nivel nacional, las solicitudes para estos puestos disminuyeron en un 32% por posición de 2019 a 2021.”2

Podemos ayudar a cerrar la brecha en la confianza del servicio público. Y hay un grupo de personas altamente capacitadas y exitosas esperando entre bastidores que están listas para ayudar: personas mayores de 50 años y más.

Una de nuestras compañías de Fedcap, ReServe, empareja a personas talentosas de 50 años o más, muchas jubiladas de carreras exitosas y que desean retribuir un poco más con las agencias gubernamentales y de servicios sociales que necesitan llenar puestos críticos de mano de obra. ReServe tiene un cuerpo de profesionales jubilados dedicados; aproximadamente tres cuartas partes tienen un título postsecundario, que están listos y dispuestos a ser el puente para construir capital humano permanente en una organización.3

Desde su creación, ReServe se ha asociado con más de 800 organizaciones sin fines de lucro y agencias gubernamentales para proporcionar un flujo de personas exitosas bien calificadas para satisfacer la demanda críticamente necesaria. ReServe ya ha sido un socio exitoso en la ciudad de Nueva York para desarrollar la capacidad de la fuerza laboral trabajando con NYC Department of Aging, para servir a docenas de agencias gubernamentales con más de 800 “ReServists” en los últimos años. Por ejemplo, un “ReServist”, David Lau, un profesional de 30 años, un intérprete certificado (inglés a chino) se ha desempeñado como traductor para el NYC Department of Aging. Hay innumerables otros ejemplos en los que los “Reservists” han hecho una diferencia real, como David. Cientos de “ReServists” sirvieron en agencias de salud pública de la Ciudad de Nueva York como parte de la solución de la fuerza laboral durante la crisis de COVID-19 en la ciudad, dotando de personal a las líneas telefónicas de respuesta, a los centros de distribución de “PPE” y promoviendo y acompañando a los neoyorquinos en sus propias comunidades para que se hicieran la prueba y se vacunaran.

La comunidad de las organizaciones sin fines de lucro está en una posición única para proporcionar un valioso refuerzo de las capacidades a corto plazo, no solo a través de nuestra estructura tradicional de brindar servicios sociales muy necesarios; También podemos ayudar a desarrollar la dotación de personal dentro del gobierno. ReServe tiene un historial de éxito de haber hecho precisamente eso. Vamos a sacarlos de entre bastidores y ponerlos al frente.

ENDNOTES

1. Grace Rauh, Stephanie Bazell, and Tasfia Nayem, Solving the Staffing Crisis: Saving City Government for New Yorkers (February 2023; pg 4) http://fiveboro.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Solving-the-Staffing-Crisis.pdf.

2. Ibid at 29.

3. See “ReServe: Powering Transformative Change” (page 4) at https://www.reserveinc.org/files/PDFs/ReServe%2010%20Year%20Report.pdf.

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Paul Smith’s College Launches New Culinary Program in New York City

Paul Smith’s College Launches New Culinary Program in New York City

New “PSC in NYC” Culinary Program to Start in Spring 2024

The Program will be Housed at Fedcap’s Food Arts Center, a State-of-the-Art Teaching Kitchen in Midtown Manhattan

New York, March 3 – Paul Smith’s College is launching a new culinary program in New York City at The Fedcap Group’s Food Arts Center, located at 210 E 43rd Street. Paul Smith’s College is known for culinary and hospitality programs and has offered high-quality training and education for decades. Last year, Paul Smith’s culinary program was ranked 11th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

Paul Smith’s has been approved to offer an accredited Culinary Arts Essentials certificate program at the new location in New York City. After completion of the program, students will receive 33 college credits in Culinary Arts. Students will learn a wide range of culinary techniques and skills, nutrition, baking and pastry basics, and kitchen management knowledge, among other essential courses, in preparation for graduates to be prepared for high-demand culinary careers.

The Culinary Arts Essentials certificate will be completed in little over eight months, with a spring semester at the New York City location, and then a “Summer in Saranac” residency to finish the certificate, where they will complete and internship program at one of the regional resorts, hotels, or restaurants and finish other core courses, like baking using Paul Smith’s College’s state-of-the-art baking facilities.

Graduates of the new PSC in NYC culinary program would be automatically accepted into a Paul Smith’s Associates or Bachelor program in culinary, baking/pastry, or hospitality program.

Not only has Paul Smith’s expanded their base of operations for additional enrollment opportunities, but also, the program will focus on enrolling underrepresented individuals into a high demand program and exposing them to opportunities in New York City and the Adirondacks. Up to 20 students will start in the first cohort.

“The Fedcap Group is dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals with barriers to economic well-being, and education is truly an entry point to sustainable careers, and the culinary industry provides many paths to sustainable well-being,” said Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group. “Fedcap has been providing students with culinary skills training in our state-of-the-art New York City facility, preparing them for entry-level positions in the food services sector. This collaboration with Paul Smith’s College provides students with an on-ramp to further education, or they can enter the workforce immediately upon completion of their certificates. We thank Wil Edwards, Director of Fedcap’s Food Arts Center, for his leadership on this important collaboration with Paul Smith’s College that we hope will serve as a blueprint for expanding opportunities, especially to individuals from underserved communities.”

“Paul Smith’s College has been providing culinary education in the Adirondacks for decades, providing students with an education leading to degrees in Culinary Management and career options ranging from caterer, corporate/private/executive chef, and more,” said Dan Kelting, Interim President of Paul Smith’s College. “The Culinary Arts Essentials certificate is one more way Paul Smith’s College is focused on attracting and enrolling students. Our collaboration with The Fedcap Group’s Food Arts Center in New York City is an exciting development and we look forward to helping more students obtain valuable training for additional in-demand skills and roles, with the option to continue their studies towards two- or four-year degrees.”

About The Fedcap Group
For 87 years, The Fedcap Group has developed scalable, innovative, and potentially disruptive solutions to some of society’s most pressing needs. Serving 340,000 people this past fiscal year, The Fedcap Group provides educational services to every age group, vocational training and job attainment in high-growth industries, as well as support services such as behavioral health services—all targeted to helping people achieve long-term self-sufficiency. The Fedcap Group also invests its time and resources in broader system change—working in partnership with federal, state, and local government to improve the way services are designed, funded, and delivered.

At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith’s provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Susan Walsh, SWalsh@fedcap.org
OR
Zoë Smith, media@paulsmiths.edu

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Building a Culture of Lifelong Learning

Building a Culture of Lifelong Learning

February 20, 2023

“…the international education community has recognized the transformative power of education and the value of learning throughout life for individuals, communities and societies.”1

-UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning

In the midst of the generational health crisis, in August 2020, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released an important report entitled, “Embracing a culture of lifelong learning”— a ten-point call to action to transform our educational culture and systems into one that lasts a lifetime, as opposed to a point in time.

For many, formal education stops at high school or college; yet given the ever-changing economy, periodic upskilling is required to ensure people are equipped for the jobs of today and tomorrow. And, as important as upskilling is to meeting workforce demand, lifelong learning is critical in order to solve our most vexing global challenges—like food hunger or climate change. Confronting these or other emerging challenges requires a culture of education where we constantly rethink and learn.

Lifetime learning sees value in formal and informal education—i.e., not only formal institutions, but also how one’s life experience can be translated into formal educational credentialing. But by and large our institutions and systems are not built for this approach, with the UNESCO report finding, “For decades, policy-makers have been striving to place lifelong learning at the heart of their education agenda. Today, making lifelong learning a reality remains an aspiration.”2

At The Fedcap Group, we’re developing programs to turn aspiration into actuality, especially for underserved communities who face obstacles to education that leave them further and further behind. We are breaking down barriers to education by building pathways from early education through workforce trainings and college with on- and off-ramps throughout the course of an individual’s life.

This allows individuals to gain much-needed upskilling and learning in high demand areas, like green energy or the digital economy. We’re partnering with colleges to assign college credits to non-college workforce certifications and trainings—and making them portable and stackable, so that we truly have a system of lifelong learning that values all types of learning. In essence, we’re changing the approach from institutions to individuals—and what they need to succeed. This is a key element of UNESCO’s action plan which urges schools and universities to become “lifelong learning institutions” noting there is a:

…responsibility both to prepare students to become lifelong learners and to provide lifelong learning opportunities to all people, irrespective of age and educational background. Such a changed mandate requires more openness in terms of access to educational institutions through multiple learning pathways, depending on the learner’s abilities and needs.3

The deleterious effect of the pandemic shows us why this matters. A recent article by The New York Times summarized several key studies that found that across the globe many students lost significant learning time due to the pandemic—on average “about one-third of a school year’s worth of knowledge and skills.” The result of this learning deficit, according to economist Eric Hanushek, is that “pandemic-era students” in the United States could result in the loss of about $70,000 in earnings over these students’ lifetimes—and have significantly less earning potential than pre-pandemic students.4

The learning loss was most pronounced in developing countries and in low-income communities—further exacerbating existing educational disparities. This finding was reinforced by a recent U.S. Federal Reserve report, which found that, “Education is widely recognized as a path to higher income and greater economic well-being, but the pandemic has created significant challenges for students of all ages since widespread closures began in March 2020.”5

We are in a moment in time to transcend and transform education. UNESCO’s report stated,

While acknowledging that the impact of COVID-19 on communities has been severe, we also recognize an opportunity to rethink how learning can better contribute to creating more sustainable and inclusive societies in which people are able to engage as active and global citizens.6

In other words, we can turn this crisis into an opportunity. Or, perhaps, this crisis shows us why a transformation into a culture of lifelong learning is a necessity.

Education unlocks the door to economic well-being. As the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization report effectively demonstrates, education isn’t a point in time, but a lifelong journey. At The Fedcap Group, we have been working on building a system of integrated educational programs focused on providing better access to individuals—especially underserved communities—with the ability to enter educational on-ramps over the course of their lives.

ENDNOTES

1. UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, “Embracing a culture of lifelong learning” (August 2020); page 4 at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374112 (UNESCO Report).
2. UNESCO Report at page 4.
3. UNESCO Report at page 29.
4. ERIC A. HANUSHEK, “The Economic Cost of the Pandemic” A HOOVER INSTITUTION ESSAY at http://hanushek.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Hanushek%202022%20HESI%20EconomicCost.pdf.
5. BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2020 – May 2021 (May 2021) at https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/2020-report-economic-well-being-us-households-202105.pdf..

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