News
The Latest from WPTI
Here we share our thoughts and insights to help workforce development professionals stay up to date on industry trends as well as exciting developments at WPTI.
"Blake has been so much more than a Board member. She has been a trusted advisor, connector, and steadfast champion of WPTI for more than 13 years. Her belief in strengthening organizations, her deep relationships and experience across the workforce field, and her generous leadership as Board Chair, Interim CEO, and Board member have left an indelible mark on WPTI. We are incredibly grateful for her years of service and friendship," reflected WPTI Board Chair Maya Washington.
We are delighted to welcome Marci Hunn to the WPTI Board of Directors! Marci brings more than 25 years of leadership across philanthropy, workforce development, government, and the nonprofit sector. Throughout her career, she has helped strengthen workforce systems, build cross-sector partnerships, and expand economic opportunity for communities across the country.
This July marks the 63rd anniversary of New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), one of the nation’s largest youth employment initiatives. Each year, SYEP provides more than 100,000 young New Yorkers between the ages of 14 and 24 with six-week paid internships that help them gain workplace experience, build professional skills, and explore future careers.
“We are excited to welcome Alyson Krause and David Fischer to the WPTI Board. Their experience and perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our impact and advance workforce development,” said Board Chair Maya Washington.
Avenues for Justice is a New York City-based non-profit organization that runs an alternative to incarceration program for court-involved and at-risk youth, ages 16- 24. In 2023, Shantel Brooks, a job developer at Avenues for Justice, launched HIRE Up, an internship program that gives participants job experience, a paycheck, and the opportunity to build their resumes. In a recent conversation with WPTI, Shantel talked about the program and its impressive results.
By Sherazade Langlade, CEO
As 2026 gets underway, many of us in the workforce development space are hopeful that Mayor Mamdani’s administration will invest in building a stronger workforce development system to provide more New Yorkers with opportunities for economic mobility. This is an especially urgent need today, when lower- and middle-income families across New York and the country feel more squeezed than ever.
When Connie Jordan first stepped into her role as Director of WIOA's Train and Earn Program and Equal Opportunity Liaison at Henry Street Settlement, she was driven by a passion for helping young people succeed and an enthusiasm for tackling the challenges of nonprofit leadership.
The Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst (Marks JCH), a Brooklyn-based community organization serving immigrants and young adults, sought fresh ways to strengthen its leadership capacity and better support program staff in delivering workforce services.
As a Youth & Young Adult Workforce Director at Marks JCH, Farangiza Razakova brought more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, first in her home country of Uzbekistan and now in New York City. When she joined WPTI’s three-month Elevate training program, she was eager to explore how leadership approaches differ across cultures, and to adapt her management style to the U.S. workforce development context.
New York, NY (October 9, 2025) – WPTI is proud to announce that it received its first-ever grant from Con Edison as part of a $15 million philanthropic effort to support community-based organizations across New York City and Westchester County to help ensure all New Yorkers benefit from a more sustainable energy grid.
"Con Edison is committed to supporting and partnering with these community organizations working every day to improve the quality of life for people in the neighborhoods we serve," said Jen Hensley, senior vice president, Corporate Affairs of Con Edison. "These grants, funded by our investors, highlight the impact of local action in driving climate solutions and creating equitable opportunities for all New Yorkers."
Workforce Professionals Training Institute (WPTI) is proud to announce that its Foundations in Workforce Development—a 9-course, self-paced online series—has been approved for one elective credit in Youth Studies at the City University of New York School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS).
“Programs offered by external partners undergo a rigorous vetting process before CUNY SPS awards credit for prior learning, and WPTI’s e-courses were an easy ‘yes’ for us,” said Jennifer Sparrow, Interim Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at CUNY SPS. “We are thrilled to offer this high-quality learning opportunity to our students.”