Cuomo announces Bronx youth jobs initiative, $16M fund to reduce gun violence

Cuomo announces program to help end gun violence

Governor Andrew Cuomo believes that jobs will play an important role in ending gun violence across the state.

NEW YORK - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that the state would be creating more than 1,750 jobs for at-risk youth in the Bronx and investing $16M to fund workforce training and job placement programs in 20 cities across New York in order to fight gun violence.

The move comes after Cuomo declared gun violence in the state a public health crisis earlier this month.

In the Bronx, the state will provide funding to create 881 summer jobs for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 to keep them employed until the beginning of the school year in the fall. The state will also partner with the Consortium for Worker Education to provide job training and placement into long-term jobs for 874 young people who are out of school and live in the Bronx.

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Cuomo, Adams look to fight rise in NYC gun violence

Governor Andrew Cuomo and Democratic Mayoral candidate Eric Adams appeared in Brooklyn Wednesday to discuss ways the city can fight against a rise in gun violence.

The state will also establish new summer programs for youth, including over 200 activities at Roberto Clemente State Park and other State Parks across the city, hire new violence interveners to work at existing community intervention programs, and expand community services and assistance for mental health support, substance abuse treatment and family crisis intervention.

Across the rest of the state, the $16M initiative will have the Department of Labor partnering with local workforce development boards to provide job training, credentialing and career placement services to connect at-risk youth to good-paying, permanent jobs.

Cuomo on gun violence

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is issuing an executive order declaring gun violence a disaster emergency.

Unemployed, underemployed and out-of-school youth aged 18-24 in areas of cities impacted by gun violence will be eligible.

"Gun violence is a public health crisis, in New York State and across the country, and we're attacking it with the same comprehensive, evidence-based approach we used to beat COVID. We know that simply telling kids to put the gun down doesn't work—we have to give them an alternative," Governor Cuomo said. "This new funding, for job training and stable, good-paying career placement opportunities for our most vulnerable young people across New York State, does just that. It's an investment in our economy, in our recovery, and in our security. And it's a beacon of hope for a generation that too often feels bereft of it."

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