The inaugural CUNY Career Discovery Week aims to connect local college-level students with New York City’s top employers
For the first time, the New York Jobs CEO Council (Jobs Council) and the Partnership for New York City are bringing Career Discovery Week to City University of New York (CUNY) students.
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CUNY Career Discovery Week
From November 3 through 11, CUNY Career Discover Week will give first- and second-year students at two-year and four-year CUNY colleges the chance to step inside 30 of New York City’s leading companies—including Accenture, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, IBM, Mastercard and Memorial Sloan Kettering. Through company site visits, CUNY alumni panels and networking sessions, students will gain early exposure to in-demand career paths, build their professional confidence and connect directly with industry leaders eager to support the next generation of talent.
The CUNY program is modeled after the Partnership for New York City’s successful high school initiative with NYC Public Schools which has introduced more than 11,000 students to career paths across 200 major employers since it launched in 2020.
“CUNY Career Discovery Week helps students move faster from learning to earning—by giving them exposure to potential employers, meaningful career paths and what they need to do to successfully apply to job opportunities,” said Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture and Chair of the New York Jobs CEO Council. “Our Jobs Council members are excited to open their doors to these students so they can build their confidence, prepare for jobs of the future and share in the city’s economic growth.”
“As an organization committed to creating pathways to opportunity, we see that CUNY students who participate in at least two Jobs Council engagements are 64% more likely to be hired by our member companies,” said Kiersten Barnet, Executive Director of the New York Jobs CEO Council. “As engagement increases, so does employment. We want to reach students early to increase the number of touchpoints with the Jobs Council and their likelihood of being employed.”
“Career Discovery Week has demonstrated the value of connecting students directly with New York City’s leading employers,” said Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO of the Partnership for New York City. “By offering this program to CUNY students, we are building on a proven model that introduces students to the variety of job opportunities available to them across all industries.”
This initiative represents an important step in bridging the gap between the career exploration opportunities in high school and the internship experiences offered in college, providing students with real-world exposure at a formative stage in their education. Fortune 500 companies often start recruiting during students’ first or second year, so it’s important to explore careers and companies early on. With participation from 30 Jobs Council and Partnership for New York City companies, 18 CUNY campuses and over 1,000 students, CUNY Career Discovery Week demonstrates the collective power of employers, educators and civic leaders working together to build a strong and prepared workforce for the future.
“This collaboration exemplifies what makes New York City extraordinary—when our leading employers, educational institutions and civic organizations come together to create opportunity,” said Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor of The City University of New York. “Career Discovery Week helps students explore industries, connect with professionals and gain the skills that power our economy and strengthen the city’s inclusive growth.”
About the New York Jobs CEO Council
The New York Jobs CEO Council is a nonprofit membership intermediary that works to scale sustainable, market-driven workforce development solutions that benefit both job seekers and businesses. Led by CEOs of large employers, the Jobs Council is committed to hiring 100,000 under-resourced New Yorkers into in-demand careers, including 25,000 recent graduates from the City University of New York (CUNY). Over four years, Jobs Council employers have hired 52,000 low-income New Yorkers into living-wage jobs at their companies, including nearly 10,000 recent CUNY graduates. Jobs Council activities are rooted in the belief that stronger employment outcomes are required to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth in New York City. Current member companies include Accenture, AIG, Amazon, American Express, Aon, Bank of America, BlackRock, Bloomberg, Citi, ConEdison, Deloitte, EY, Google, IBM, JPMorganChase, KPMG, Mastercard, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai, NewYork-Presbyterian, Northwell Health, PwC, Ralph Lauren, TD Bank, The Travelers Companies, Inc., Tishman Speyer, and Wells Fargo. We invite interested companies to contact the Jobs Council directly at hirelocal@jobscouncil.org.
About the Partnership for New York City
The Partnership for New York City represents the city’s business leaders and largest employers. We work with government, labor, and the nonprofit sector to promote economic growth and maintain the city’s prominence as a global center of economic opportunity, upward mobility, and innovation. The Partnership Fund for New York City is the Partnership’s investment arm. The Fund invests in entrepreneurs and innovators in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors who contribute to building a more vibrant and inclusive New York City economy. Visit pfnyc.org to learn more.
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