From Degree to Career: Why Strengthening Employer Partnerships at CUNY Is Key to Boosting Career Success for New Yorkers
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| Title: | From Degree to Career: Why Strengthening Employer Partnerships at CUNY Is Key to Boosting Career Success for New Yorkers |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Eli Dvorkin, Anna Shumskiy, Andrew Bauld, Center for an Urban Future (CUF) |
| Source: | Center for an Urban Future. 2026. |
| Availability: | Center for an Urban Future. 120 Wall Street 20th Floor, New York, NY 10005. Tel: 212-479-3341; Fax: 212-344-6457; Web site: http://www.nycfuture.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 25 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | New York Community Trust |
| Intended Audience: | Policymakers |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Urban Universities, Partnerships in Education, School Business Relationship, Education Work Relationship, Barriers, College Students |
| Geographic Terms: | New York (New York) |
| Abstract: | In this challenging hiring environment, the City University of New York's (CUNY's) mostly low-income students will struggle to gain access to well-paying jobs unless CUNY develops far stronger connections with employers. This report shines a light on the need to bolster those partnerships, examines why employer partnerships matter more than ever to students' financial success after college, documents the progress CUNY has made, and identifies six key challenges that continue to hold back deeper collaboration between CUNY and employers. To inform this analysis, the Center for an Urban Future (CUF) conducted more than 80 interviews with CUNY leaders, faculty, career advisors, employers, and nonprofit intermediaries; reviewed national research on the link between employer engagement and student outcomes; and analyzed data from the CUNY Wage Dashboard, the New York State Department of Labor, and the U.S. Census Bureau. The result is a clearer picture of what is working, where the gaps remain, and what city and state policymakers can do to close them. It concludes with actionable recommendations for policymakers that prioritize public investment where it can have the greatest impact in order to sustain CUNY's role as the city's leading launchpad to opportunity. The report also advances policy changes that need not carry major new costs. Together, these steps would help tens of thousands more CUNY students gain the work experience, networks, and industry-relevant skills needed to thrive in today's labor market. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED681695 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | In this challenging hiring environment, the City University of New York's (CUNY's) mostly low-income students will struggle to gain access to well-paying jobs unless CUNY develops far stronger connections with employers. This report shines a light on the need to bolster those partnerships, examines why employer partnerships matter more than ever to students' financial success after college, documents the progress CUNY has made, and identifies six key challenges that continue to hold back deeper collaboration between CUNY and employers. To inform this analysis, the Center for an Urban Future (CUF) conducted more than 80 interviews with CUNY leaders, faculty, career advisors, employers, and nonprofit intermediaries; reviewed national research on the link between employer engagement and student outcomes; and analyzed data from the CUNY Wage Dashboard, the New York State Department of Labor, and the U.S. Census Bureau. The result is a clearer picture of what is working, where the gaps remain, and what city and state policymakers can do to close them. It concludes with actionable recommendations for policymakers that prioritize public investment where it can have the greatest impact in order to sustain CUNY's role as the city's leading launchpad to opportunity. The report also advances policy changes that need not carry major new costs. Together, these steps would help tens of thousands more CUNY students gain the work experience, networks, and industry-relevant skills needed to thrive in today's labor market. |
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