In 2023, the Foundation issued a bold challenge to New York’s workforce training ecosystem: we would fund training programs if employers committed in writing to hire low-income out-of-school / out-of-work youth upon completion, based on objective criteria.
This wasn’t business as usual. We required more than vague promises or advisory board participation. We asked for full-time job offers, conditioned on meaningful skill attainment. And we got them.
Ninety-six proposals came in from high schools, community colleges, and nonprofits across New York state. Alongside those proposals came 234 letters from employers, ranging from tech startups to construction firms, pledging real jobs for real skills. We ultimately funded 20 partnerships with $7.6 million in grants. The bet was simple: if we changed what we asked of employers, they’d show up differently.
This model hasn’t just worked. It has thrived!
Of the over 1,000 low-income, out-of-school or out-of-work youth who completed training across our grantees, 50% secured full-time employment in the industries trained, at an average cost per participant well below industry studies. Organizations focused on the culinary industry like the Door, Drive Change and Hot Bread Kitchen forged deep relationships with culinary employers. Construction, building maintenance and green economy partners hired from Commonpoint Queens, Henry Street Settlement and St. Nicks Alliance. In the IT space, NPower’s placements soared, with 66% of their youth now employed in the field. We’re also seeing high retention: at one grantee, 95% of placed youth stayed in their jobs for at least three months.
Employers in the Heckscher Challenge weren’t passive end-users of training; they were architects of it. They shaped curricula, hosted on-site classes, and trained their own teams to better support young hires. Some even taught courses themselves.
It has worked because the relationships weren’t transactional. They were strategic.
This is what the future of workforce development must look like. Not just public dollars chasing ephemeral job placements, but deeply invested employers creating tangible career paths, side-by-side with education and nonprofit partners.
Our call to action is simple: if you’re an employer who believes in hiring based on skills step up. Don’t wait to be asked. Define what you need. Partner with a local training provider. Commit to hire.
The Heckscher Foundation for Children will continue to support and amplify these models. In fact, in June 2025, we launched a third year of funding for the most promising grantees to deepen and sustain their employer partnerships. The Bottom Line. Training without hiring isn’t workforce development. It’s wishful thinking. We’ve seen what’s possible when employers take ownership of the pipeline; not just the outcome.