Nassau Standard

“Spring Forward” Program Places Students with Local Employers to Meet the Needs of Today’s Workforce and Prepare Future Talent

From the Office of Governor Hochul. Original announcement here.

Governor Hochul today announced a $4 million state-funded internship program that offers employers the chance to hire qualified City University of New York students at no cost, placing 600 CUNY students in small businesses, tech startups, non-profits, corporations, and government agencies this spring semester. Students participating in the program, Spring Forward, earn $20 an hour while gaining experience necessary to secure a job post-college.

“With access to quality and affordable higher education, CUNY students have the opportunity to climb the ladder of success and help to build a better New York for future generations,” said Governor Hochul. “The Spring Forward program is not only helping students earn valuable career experience, it’s helping local employers connect with and prepare our future workforce. My administration is committed to supporting students so they can earn their degree and enter into a rewarding career.”

“80 percent of CUNY students stay in New York, helping businesses and non-profit employers to innovate, reach new markets, and thrive,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “We thank Gov. Hochul for her commitment to expanding these critical industry partnerships so more businesses and organizations can see firsthand what CUNY students can do.”

CUNY partnered with businesses, agencies and organizations who need talent to support projects in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), environmental preservation, community services, healthcare, and marketing fields. Spring Forward internships began in February and runs for 10 weeks, including training. State funding was included in the FY23 academic year.

“CUNY graduates represent the future of New York City’s workforce,” said State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky. “CUNY’s graduates tend to stay in New York and become active in their communities. These paid internship opportunities will help students gain valuable experience while earning their degree as well as allow them a chance to build relationships with employers and their peers. This program will greatly benefit both the students and the employers who get a first-hand look at the talent being developed throughout our CUNY system.”

“We know that on average, 60% of employers prefer to hire graduates and workers with internship experience.” said Assemblymember Patricia Fahy. “Internship experience translates into real-world career experience and readiness that helps to leverage better pay, benefits, and economic empowerment post-college, and today’s announcement will recruit even more students to CUNY’s Spring Forward program. Furthermore, paid internships are more likely to translate into job offers, and connecting employers with new generations of skilled workers is a win-win for our not just our students and universities, but economy more broadly. I commend Governor Hochul for investing in the success of New York’s students and future workforce.”

One of those students is Sosmita Islam, a sophomore at Hunter College who is interning at Mount Sinai Health System. A psychology major with a concentration in neurology, Islam is currently working in radiology for 15 hours a week and appreciates having a paid opportunity that both provides real-world experience and coordinates with her course load.

“It is amazing to have a paid experience where I am able to learn so much from the people around me and there is a variety of things I get to do,” said Islam. “I already wanted to be a doctor, but I have not decided which speciality. I never would have considered radiology, but this first-hand experience has shown me a new option and may have changed my mind.”

Businesses with fewer than 100 employees looking to hire full-time talent immediately can also apply to CUNY’s Internship to Employment (I2E) program, which connects recent CUNY alumni and imminent grads to 6-week internships followed by 8 weeks of subsidized employment at host companies that choose to take on their interns. Interested employers can sign up to learn more at the I2E website.

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving over 260,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. To learn more about CUNY, visit https://www.cuny.edu 

Original source can be found here.