City Limits:

“NY Pols Tout Bill Targeting Jobless Youth.” On Tuesday in Harlem, Representative Charles Rangel, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand,  Assembly member Keith Wright, and leaders from that National Urban League presented their new legislation aimed at combating youth unemployment. Called the Urban Jobs Act, this legislation allocates $20 million for GED programs, individual case management, job skills and training, and support services that would serve unemployed young people between the ages of 18 and 24.

“Can Job Training Reduce Unemployment?” While the government is investing in job training programs as a means of combatting poverty, there is limited evidence that these programs actually help people get jobs. This article addresses the fact that job programs like HRA’s Back to Work and Workforce1 in New York City provide limited skills and do not help people find lasting employment. Advocates note that job training is ineffective when there are no jobs, calling for greater investment in job creation so that more skilled workers can find employment.

New York 1:

“Child Care Cuts Draw Criticism from 43 City Council Members.” On Thursday, 43 City Council members sent a letter urging the mayor to avoid cuts to childcare that could leave as many as 10,000 children without care. Though more devastating cuts were avoided in this year’s city budget, childcare funding is still at-risk of being reduced in a way that deeply impacts childcare providers and the families that they serve starting next September. Providers and advocates worry that the city plans to allocate less public money for each child in care as well as not covering health care costs for childcare workers, which would mean major cutbacks and fewer childcare slots for families.