The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) invests in workforce development as a strategy for expanding economic opportunity and strengthening Upper Manhattan’s local workforce system. Through Workforce Opportunity Investments (WOI), UMEZ supports partnerships, training programs, and capacity-building initiatives that connect residents to quality jobs and long-term career pathways.
Our approach is place-based and demand-driven, aligning workforce investments with the needs of employers, growing industries, and Upper Manhattan communities. We work with workforce providers, community-based organizations, labor management, educational institutions, employers, and public and private partners to help residents access employment opportunities in growing industries.
UMEZ’s workforce investments are also connected to our broader economic development strategy. By aligning workforce initiatives with neighborhood investment and development projects, we seek to strengthen local hiring pipelines, support economic mobility, and ensure that Upper Manhattan residents benefit from the community’s long-term growth and development.
Focus Areas
Sector-Based Workforce Development
We support workforce partnerships and training initiatives that connect Upper Manhattan residents to quality jobs and career pathways in growing industries.
UMEZ invests in sector-based strategies that align workforce training with employer demand and regional labor market opportunities. These initiatives focus on industries that offer strong potential for long-term employment and economic mobility, including hospitality, technology, healthcare, construction, and other high-growth sectors.
Through partnerships with workforce providers, employers, educational institutions, and community-based organizations, these investments help residents develop industry-relevant skills, access employment opportunities, and prepare for long-term career advancement.
Capacity-Building and Workforce Ecosystem Support
We support workforce organizations in strengthening their capacity to respond to the evolving needs of Upper Manhattan residents and the local labor market.
Capacity-building investments help workforce providers strengthen their operations, expand organizational effectiveness, and adapt to changing economic conditions. Funding may support strategic planning, staffing capacity, partnership development, technology and operational systems, or other organizational priorities that improve service delivery and long-term sustainability.
UMEZ also supports collaborative approaches that strengthen coordination across the workforce ecosystem, deepen partnerships among providers, and improve access to employment and career advancement opportunities for Upper Manhattan residents.
Workforce and Economic Development Alignment
We support coordinated partnerships, recruitment and localized skills training engagements and comprehensive approaches designed to create employment pathways for local residents in connection with UMEZ’s portfolio of large-scale capital investments. By integrating these two priorities, communities can create a more resilient labor market and improve employment outcomes for local residents.
Activities may include curriculum design and the co-development of tailored training initiatives with UMEZ and employers to ensure direct alignment with project-based hiring needs and broader industry demand. Additionally, partnership coordination with UMEZ and relevant stakeholders may include the design of outreach and recruitment strategies to build targeted talent pipelines, and the advancement of local hiring plans on the achievement of shared economic goals.