On Thursday, August 13, Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a plan to bolster New York City’s community college system and provide the educational and training opportunities necessary to move more city residents into the middle class.
The Mayor’s “Gateway to the Middle Class” initiative calls for investing $50 million over the next four years to improve the quality, affordability, accessibility and accountability of the city’s community college network.
The ultimate goal of the initiative is the graduation of 120,000 New Yorkers from community colleges by 2020 – an achievement, the Mayor maintains, that would land the graduates higher-paying jobs and a place among the city’s middle class.
Bloomberg’s injection of capital would fund the creation of a new community college and training programs in planning, marketing and financial management, as well as in growing fields like green technology and health care. Such development, proponents avow, would help New Yorkers become entrepreneurs.
Additionally, the plan calls for better on-campus advisement and collaboration between the city’s economic development teams and community college leadership, to ensure that education is a vital component of future economic development strategies.
The plan also includes an expansion of the Accelerated Study in Associate Program (ASAP) geared toward helping high-risk students graduate community college and transition into the workforce.
In terms of affordability, Bloomberg said he would fight to lift federal and state restrictions that stand between certain students and financial aid – and would work with the City University of New York (CUNY) to promote online and used books and bulk purchasing of books.
He would also initiate a savings program called $aveNYC that would offer students matching funds when they maintain their initial deposit for a year and use the money toward tuition and expenses.
Finally, “Gateway to the Middle Class” aims to honor the standout professors, graduates and students whose achievements are vital to the success of the city’s community college system.
“Last month, President Obama set a goal of graduating five million Americans from community colleges by 2020,” Bloomberg said in announcing his plan. “Like we do in so many other areas from green jobs to community service, New York City can and will lead the way.”
