| Bronx Community College (BCC) in New York is helping low-income residents gain skills for employment and/or college entry, and offering technical assistance and small-group workshops to local business owners. The programs are being delivered in networked classrooms that BCC is retrofitting with Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities (HSIAC) funds. The need for training and technical assistance programs was identified by a coalition of community-based organizations in the Washington Heights neighborhood of North Manhattan. This predominantly Dominican Hispanic community is characterized by extremes of poverty, low English language literacy, and overcrowded housing. Much of the largely Spanish-speaking, immigrant population lacks the educational attainment, language skills, and contacts necessary to seek out and obtain knowledge-based and service jobs in the New York City economy.
Through the project, the college will work with the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) to deliver relevant instruction and training services to local residents. NMIC is a designated Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) and the designated lead employment service for the North Manhattan segment of the Northern Manhattan/Bronx Empowerment Zone.
Together, the college and NMIC will build on locally available job training offerings to help residents make the transition to college, occupational offerings, and/or career paths that require further education. The two partners will also offer seminars and technical support for entrepreneurial/small business development. While Bronx Community College will provide instruction for these programs, NMIC has committed more than $164,200 in in-kind resources.
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