New York officials are considering the creation of "transitional" titles to enable migrants with federal work authorization to join the state workforce, as per a memo circulated by the state Civil Service Commission obtained by The Post. Once in these roles, the workers would receive training and assistance to acquire the necessary skills for permanent positions.
Hard-to-Recruit Entry-Level Jobs for Migrants
According to a memo initially covered by Bloomberg News, state agencies have found 4,000 state jobs that could potentially be filled by migrants, described as "hard-to-recruit" entry-level titles. The plan would enable migrants to bypass requirements such as English proficiency, proof of education, and past employment, as per the memo.
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State Providing Temporary Opportunities for Legal Migrants
To support the over 170,000 migrants who have arrived in the city since April 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul has put forward a $2.4 billion plan. Hochul urged the Biden administration to expedite work permits and boost federal aid for migrants, as allowing migrants to work would positively impact the state's economy and address the humanitarian crisis.
Avi Small, a spokesperson for Hochul, verified the accuracy of the memo and mentioned that the state is still deciding whether to alter the job requirements, saying that the initiative, which has not been implemented yet, aims to provide temporary job opportunities for anyone legally eligible to work in the United States. Small added that Governor Hochul has prioritized modernizing the state workforce and eliminating red tape and has instituted a series of reforms to achieve that goal.
Civil Service Commissioner Timothy Hogues highlighted that the suggested requirements for migrants mirror those of current apprenticeship programs, which, when adopted, relaxed rules would apply to all New Yorkers.
Reduction of Employment Barriers in the United States
Hogues expressed excitement when questioned about the memo by Long Island Assemblyman Ed Ra during a budget hearing on Tuesday, noting that it's part of a broader approach to making government jobs more accessible and reducing barriers, which is no different from traineeships and apprenticeships that allow individuals to up-skill or gain on-the-job experience to meet qualifications.
The suggested temporary transitional jobs include caring for intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals, custodial work, food service, facilities repair, and clerical positions.
The memo concludes that creating these transitional titles benefits the state and its agencies. It aims to connect qualified and motivated individuals with meaningful job opportunities, address the migrant crisis, and contribute to rebuilding the state workforce.
Governor Kathy Hochul has touted the identification of over 40,000 open positions from state employers willing to hire migrants. However, the federal process for approving work authorization has been slow. As of November, only 2,850 out of nearly 47,000 migrants sheltered statewide had received approval for work. State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon mentioned last month that "it is a bottleneck, but it is beginning to break."
