The most significant return on investment for organizations training others is simply jobs. A job helps someone pay for their life, but in many ways, the most important thing is getting up every day and having a purpose. As the chair of the Public Housing Community Fund, jobs are one of the driving principles behind the programs that we partner with.
The Clean Energy Academy trains NYCHA residents skills with eventual certificates to work with NYCHA contractors who will perform nearly $500 million in retrofit and renewable energy projects at NYCHA developments through 2026. These residents do not need any skills to apply, just a desire to learn and work and the bonus of working in their community. Best part, the ROI is high which is how it should be. This program is in partnership with NYCHA and Laguardia Community College.
Hospitality Pathways is another organization that provides job training, but it is in the cannabis sector. Like the Clean Energy Academy, it helps people secure jobs. Hospitality Pathways came to Gotham Gives for their first cohort. We wanted to see one work before we funded it, and Beatrice did just that. When she returned, we funded the second cohort.
They have had seven cohorts with 112 graduates. Last year, they had over 1300 applications for 60 seats; let that sink in. At this point, 65% of their graduates are employed earning between $20-33 an hour, many have advanced to supervisory and management roles with salaries between $55-$90k. That is game changing, and I know because at Gotham, we have hired many incredible graduates for our stores.
These days, my frustration with the system is at an all-time high. Perhaps it is age and seeing history repeat itself repeatedly. Last week, I watched (not all of it) the state hearing called Oversight—Transparency at NYCHA.” The lack of political ill will was painful to watch, knowing that mismanagement and misuse of funds are the culture, it is plain to see.
NYC is not the only city suffering from a lack of housing and education for those without access to jobs. Artists can’t afford to live here anymore, and as always, it goes right back to real estate—empty buildings, empty NYCHA apartments, empty storefronts, etc., and nobody does anything about it.
Then I go back to Beatrice. You would put money into that program in a heartbeat as an investor. The ROI is absurdly high, and the demand is off the charts. Yet, more than likely, this program will die because there isn’t any funding for “cannabis” even though the jobs market is growing and Hospitality Pathways is needed. It isn’t drugs, it’s pot and it is legal in NY.
I do not want to become tired of shaking my head, but sometimes, I do.
