Career-Connected Learning

FutureReadyNYC (FRNYC)

FRNYC is a multi-year initiative where participating schools choose to build one of four career pathways: business, education, healthcare, or technology. Through this career-connected pathway, participating students will:

• Explore a range of careers and take classes aligned to a career that interests them,
• Develop 21st century skills including digital and financial literacy,
• Get real-world, paid work experiences like internships,
• Earn early college credit and industry-validated credentials, and
• Be supported with personalized college and career planning to ensure successful transition into college and/or careers that provide family-sustaining wages.

Through this pilot, schools and educators will receive support and funding to develop labor market-aligned pathways to ensure that students are ready for successful futures. FutureReadyNYC will prepare students with real skills, a strong plan for after high school, and a head start for where they are going, including through college credits and/or industry-aligned credentials. FutureReadyNYC will also engage NYC employers to offer internships and other work-based learning experiences and higher education, including CUNY campuses, for early college credit aligned to careers. FutureReadyNYC will catalyze opportunities for schools, educators and students to learn about how career-connected learning can work best in NYC schools.

Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship (CRMYA)

Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship (CRMYA) is a multi-year initiative developed in partnership with the NYC Jobs Council and CareerWise New York. Participating schools ensure that students integrate time spent on academics, advanced training, and paid work experience to further develop skills and exposure in their desired career fields. Through this program, participating schools will offer career readiness courses, early college credit courses and apprenticeship opportunities to their students.

During their junior year of high school, students attend school three times per week and report to their apprenticeship sites twice per week. Students have the opportunity to continue with the program until their sophomore year of college, which could result in receiving an official job offer from their apprenticeship site.

During freshman and sophomore year of high school, students participate in workshops, courses, and a plethora of various training sessions that prepare them to apply for apprenticeships. Students are given the opportunity to explore and discover diverse career paths in high-growth, high-wage fields.

After the first two years of high school, students will be able to apply to participate in apprenticeship programs with large organizations in business operations, finance, and technology. Apprentices will continue to attend school and will earn between $15-$22 an hour as an entry level wage.

This pilot will build career readiness skills for NYC students, create meaningful career opportunities for apprentices, and build learnings that can be applied in other schools to support development of career readiness skills.

Hear from apprenticeship participants from NYC directly: MYA VIDEO

Career and Technical Education

Career and Technical Education programs are made up of elective courses that teach students about different careers. New York City has over 130 CTE schools and over 260 CTE programs to choose from. Some CTE schools also host additional career-connected learning programs, like Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship.

To find schools and programs in your area please visit the online CTE directory. The programs are organized into 16 different career clusters. Career clusters connect to more than 79+ specific career pathways or jobs. The 16 career clusters are:

• Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
• Business Management & Administration
• Education & Training
• Finance
• Government & Public Administration
• Health Science
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Human Services
• Information Technology
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
• Manufacturing
• Marketing
• Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
• Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Co-op Tech also offers half-day career and technical training for students who:

• are enrolled in academic courses in another NYC Public Schools program, or
• have graduated with a high school diploma or equivalent.

What Students Get from CTE

Students who complete career and technical education programs are better prepared to make informed college and career decisions thanks to the real-world experiences they have in high school.

Career and Technical Education programs offer you:

• Classes that teach you skills you will need to be successful in work and life after high school.
• A class in Career and Financial Management that will help you to explore careers, learn about the workplace, and prepare you to manage your own money.
• Teachers who have worked in their career areas and who hold industry certifications and professional licenses.
• Opportunities for you to earn industry-recognized certifications that can help you to prepare for internships and jobs while you are still in school.
• Work-based learning experiences like career mentoring, workplace tours, job shadowing, and internships that will help you build professional skills.
• You will learn skills such as planning for success, collaboration, problem solving, social awareness and professional attitude.
• School partnerships that help you meet adults who are working in the careers you are interested in learning more about.
• Articulation agreements that offer you college credits, advanced standing or reduced tuition in a related college/university program upon graduation.
• A Career and Technical Education Endorsement on your high school diploma.

Students who graduate from career and technical education programs may choose to:

• continue at a college or university
• go directly into the workforce
• select technical training programs, apprenticeships, or schools that specialize in their chosen field of interest, or
• some combination of all of the above

Diploma Endorsement

A high school diploma with Career and Technical Education endorsement is granted to students enrolled in NY State-approved programs of study who complete the following requirements:

• 44 credits including the CTE career electives
• Pass 5 Regents
• Pass a 3-part technical assessment (this may be an industry recognized credential)
• Work based learning experiences in career awareness, exploration, and career development
• Work skills profile

Learn More

You can learn more about Career and Technical Education programs by:

• Visiting the High School Admissions website
• Visiting the NYC Career and Technical Education website, where you will find:
  • Videos where students, teachers and principals introduce you to career and technical education
  • A Schools and Program Directory that you can search by borough, school district, or career pathway and includes direct links to the high-school websites
  • Information about work-based learning programs like our industry scholars internship program. You can also watch a video of students and employers talk about their experiences.
  • Career maps that teach you about the types of jobs that you can prepare for in CTE
  • The Career and Technical Education newsletter, NYCCTE Spotlight, is full of news about the amazing things that are happening in CTE schools and programs.
• Visiting the Co-op Tech website 

How to Enroll in CTE Schools

• Speak with your guidance counselor
• Get help with admissions and enrollment from a Family Welcome Center staff member

Are you already enrolled in a participating school? If yes… 

Requirements

Students participating in the program would have to continue to reside in New York City in order to continue with the apprenticeship program. 

What to do if the program is not available in your school

If this program is not available in your DOE school, but you are interested in developing new skills and have a hands-on real work experience check out the following links:

• Internships 
• Summer Youth Employment Program

Get Involved in Career and Technical Education (For Businesses) 

Student Engagement

An essential part of the Career Connected Learning experience is for the students to gain exposure to work experiences. You can support students’ preparation in the following ways:

• Internships: Provide work experience and guided supervision through internships founded by the NYC Department of Education.
• Workplace Tours: Offer students the chance to learn about your business and explore your worksite.
• Career Days: Share your career and college pathway experiences with students at a school or your website. 
• Mock Interviews: Help students master their networking and interviewing skills through events at a school or your worksite.

Teacher Engagement 

At the core of every high quality CTE program is a committee teacher who strives to ensure their programs meet industry needs. Consider the following opportunities that allow teachers to stay current with industry trends and talent pipeline needs.

• Professional Development workshops: lead workshops for teachers to learn about industry trends or garner a new skill.
• Externships: Host a CTE teacher through a NYC Department of Education funded, short-term learning opportunity at your business to help them upskill their industry experience. 

Industry Engagement

Commissions bring together schools, industry and college partners to strengthen CTE programs that meet the talent development needs of NYC

• Panelists and Presenters: Provide insight into industry trends and hiring practices to an audience of CTE teachers
• CTE Curriculum Review: Give feedback to improve a CTE teacher’s industry-specific curriculum
• Meeting Space: Host commission meetings or other CTE events at your worksite

New York City P-TECH Schools

New York City’s Grades 9-14 Early College and Career Schools (also known as P-TECH Schools) are public schools under the NYC Department of Education and are supported by the CTE team as well as by the CUNY Early College Initiative. Each of these schools offer an innovative six-year high school program to prepare students for college and careers competitive in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industries.

All of the Grades 9-14 schools are affiliated with a CUNY college that offers New York public school students the opportunity to take courses toward an Associate degree, at no cost to the student or the family. The Grades 9–14 schools also works with lead industry partners to support students in exploring careers and attaining skills needed to work in STEM industries. Grades 9-14 high schools are open to all New York City students. 

To learn more about New York City P-TECH schools and to apply, visit: https://nycptechschools.org/.

Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs and activities. The DOE is committed to complying with Title IX and ensuring that DOE schools and workplaces are free of sex discrimination.

Questions regarding Title IX compliance should be referred to:

Sobia Mahmood, Esq.,
Title IX Coordinator 
65 Court Street, Room 1102 
Brooklyn, NY 11201 
718-935-4987
Title_IX_Inquiries@schools.nyc.gov