Equal Opportunity for New Yorkers with Disabilities

(00:00:20)

Thank you. Good morning. Welcome to the New York City Council hearing for the Committee on Disabilities. Please silence all cell phones and other devices going forward and no one is to approach the dais. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Sergeant at Arms. We are ready to begin.

(00:07:36)

Thank you. You may begin your testimony when ready. Hello? Good morning. Chair, you might need to bring it a little closer. I think... Is this better?

(00:07:55)

Yeah, okay. Good...

(00:07:57)

Good morning, Chair Hanif and members of the Committee, who will hopefully join later, and to the audience as well. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. My name is Nisha Agarwal, the Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. I have short black hair and brown skin. I am wearing a navy top and slacks, and I have my hearing aid somewhere around. MOPD's mission is to ensure that New York City is accessible and inclusive for the more than 1 million New Yorkers with disabilities who live and work in this City. We do direct services, community engagement, strategic communication and policymaking at the local, state, national and international level for both public and private stakeholders, and employment.

Employment for people with disabilities is vital. First, I will walk through the setting of the scene with some numbers on employment for New York City. Just 40% of New Yorkers with disabilities of working age are employed, compared to 73% of the City's overall working age population. For those who are in the labor force, the unemployment rate is nearly 13% for people with disabilities compared to 7% citywide. We also know that on average, people with disabilities spend approximately 20% of their income on disability-related expenses, causing a strain to...

(00:10:05)

...already limited incomes. Furthermore, people with disabilities grapple with a tight housing market, inflation costs on food and other necessities, transportation barriers, health care coverage considerations and other affordability matters. The bottom line is people with disabilities are feeling the burden of affordability issues, oftentimes at more exacerbated rates compared to other New Yorkers.

A core focus of our work is about jobs for people with disabilities — the dignity of their work, the independence that it can provide and the ability to build a life in the City that we all love. For example, MOPD's signature job initiative, which has been active for more than about a decade, provides a continuum of individual services to both job seekers and employers. For job seekers we offer career advice, resume and interview preparation, guidance on disclosure and reasonable accommodations, retention services and supports, and for those who apply, the 55-a program as a pathway for people with disabilities to secure employment with the City.

On the employer side we provide recruitment support, pre-screening, candidate referrals and personalized hiring events, among other things. To date our program has helped 800 New Yorkers with disabilities secure employment, including a significant number of people who used the 55-a program as a pathway. Since July 2023, in conjunction with our sister agencies, more than 3,000 people with disabilities have secured employment. Nearly 150 were from New York City at Work.

While MOPD has been at the forefront of this work, we cannot do it without the partnerships with our City agencies and our colleagues who are committed to this effort, and they are all seated at the dais today. Finally, I want to share a success story so that we can all put this in perspective. When asked what one of our colleagues liked about his job, he said, "My work feels meaningful." He went on to provide advice to other job seekers, saying, "Be patient, the right opportunity will come your way."

This client now works on health and safety issues at DCAS. He has a background in project analytics and a degree background in transportation-related issues. He came to one of our job fairs in 2024 and, through a whole year of process, a soft job possibility translated into tangible employment. He was also able to use the 55-a program as a pathway to employment with the City. He has a learning disability and one of his goals is to build his confidence in the workplace. To that end, one of our career advisers has continued to work with this client at DCAS. They are debriefing about everyday issues that the client faces and ways to build his confidence in his unit and shape his ongoing career trajectory.

That ongoing support from our career advisers continues for a year beyond the employment, and our adviser and the client have been talking consistently for eight months now. This is just one story of a job seeker that has been touched by working with our job program, and it is a story showing the dedication of our staff and the powerful story of how patience, support, connection and follow-up can impact all New Yorkers, including New Yorkers with disabilities. Our goal is working together and fighting to extend opportunities for people with disabilities, as highlighted above. This matters to everyone. Thank you very much for the opportunity to testify today and I am happy to answer any questions.

(00:16:13)

Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Chair, and to any members who will join us. My name is Harris Conn, Chief of Staff at the New York City Department of Small Business Services. I am pleased to join today's hearing with Commissioner Agarwal from the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, Executive Director Perry from the Office of Talent and Workforce Development and Assistant Commissioner from the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

Per the City Comptroller's 2024 report, New York City working age adults with disabilities face an employment rate of just 41% compared to 81% for those without disabilities, a gap that carries real consequences for economic security and quality of life. Doing our part to close that gap is a priority. We are committed to delivering economic opportunity for all New Yorkers and today I want to report on the steps we are taking to better serve New Yorkers with disabilities.

Over the past several years we have worked to make our Workforce One career centers more accessible and effective for job seekers with disabilities. Through the state-funded New York Systems Change and Inclusive Opportunities Network program, or SCION, we have expanded employee trainings, hosted targeted recruitment events and improved accessibility across our centers. Last year, to mark National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we hosted three resource fairs that connected more than 180 job seekers to community resources, benefits counseling and job placement support. This month we are continuing that momentum with two additional events — one tomorrow in Jamaica, Queens, and another on May 12 in Staten Island.

Across all of our Workforce One career centers, we have placed more than 1,200 New Yorkers with disabilities into jobs since 2024, and more than 150 Workforce One center staff members have received training and support from our disability resource coordinators as well as disability etiquette training from our colleagues. This ensures that when a New Yorker with a disability walks through any of our doors, they are met by staff who are prepared to serve them with competence and respect.

Our disability resource coordinators also work directly with job seekers to help them navigate disability benefits, connect them to independent living centers and refer them to financial counselors that are co-located in our five borough-based hop centers. Additionally, we have embedded staff within our Downtown Brooklyn Workforce One center at 9 Bond Street, deepening the range of direct services available to New Yorkers with disabilities.

Looking ahead, I am pleased to share that in partnership with Talent, the City announced awards for an innovative co-designed pilot program on April 1, 2026. This initiative will invest over the next four years to support providers in designing and implementing accessible workforce programs with people with disabilities at the table as collaborators in program design and not just recipients of services. SBS will contribute contract and program management support to this effort. Decisions about vendor selection, training models and program direction are also informed by MOPD as the funder and Talent as the citywide coordinating entity on workforce development and as the citywide subject matter expert on disability. Together, we expect this initiative will generate meaningful learnings for this field over the next four years. We thank the Council for the opportunity to testify today and welcome any questions.

(00:20:06)

You are supporting... you know, with this... you can testify and I would love to hear this. Could you wait to be able to testify? Yes. Okay. I know that. I would love to hear this in full and I would love for you to stay here, so let us continue this during the testimony. I remember being here with... but you being on this... I would love to continue this and I do not want to get you out of the room. So please...

(00:21:42)

...respect the decorum right now so that we can have this conversation during the hearing. I understand that. Thank you.

(00:22:02)

Okay. So starting with the plan to advance career success for people with disabilities, I would like to ask a few questions. What is the current administration's assessment of the inherited plan? What is working, what is not, and what, if anything, is going to change?

(00:22:31)

Good morning. My name is Douglas Perry. I am the Executive Director of the Office of Talent and Workforce Development, or Talent for short. I am a white male with brown hair, a beard, and wearing a blue suit and a white shirt with a reddish-pinkish tie. We are absolutely committed to making sure that there is opportunity for all New Yorkers to be connected to employment pathways, and that our employers here in the City of New York have access to the talent — and that talent includes people with disabilities. It is core to the work of our office at Talent to make sure that people with disabilities are connected to...

(00:23:09)

...job opportunities. Is that specifically the initiative that was launched in the previous administration? What does that have to do with Talent? So the Center...

(00:23:22)

...for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion was established in 2023 as part of this plan that was established within our office, which is important as we are a centralized office and it helps coordinate the system. It has a citywide purview in terms of working with all the partners, both internal and external. And so the...

(00:23:42)

...the goal of connecting 2,500 New Yorkers was set by July 2026 and...

(00:23:47)

...we are proud that we have already met and surpassed this goal, connecting more than 3,800 people with disabilities to jobs as of the end of 2025.

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And is there anything that you want to share in terms of the feedback? What is working? It seems like what you all are doing is working, if you have surpassed the 2,500 number.

(00:24:09)

We are proud of the work and proud of the partnership that is reflected here and sitting at this table. We are always looking to evaluate the types of programming that is successful and the lessons learned, and we continue to do that. We are also excited about the co-design process that the chief of staff testified about. That was also announced as part of that plan and that work is just beginning now. We expect that the outcomes from that will be really important for helping connect job seekers with disabilities to jobs, and we will have a lot of lessons learned to bring into future programming as well.

(00:24:50)

I would like to recognize the Council member who has joined us. The plan encompasses nine distinct programs administered across at least five City agencies. How is accountability structured across agencies when no single agency owns the full portfolio?

(00:25:11)

Yeah. Part of what we do at Talent is work across the entire system, and each of the programs are different. Each agency has different types of programs with different types of scope and different types of goals associated with it. In terms of looking across the system, we work with the Workforce One career centers on how they are connecting people with disabilities, MOPD and the At Work program, the We Care program, and then at Talent we have our Partnership for Inclusive Internships. Each of them are structured differently, but we work across collecting information from each of the agencies to count up towards our 3,800 goal.

(00:25:55)

And while each of them are structured differently, is that a choice the agency developed? I will add a little as well. From MOPD's perspective...

(00:26:10)

It is great if other agencies contribute their work on employment, on housing, et cetera. We want to work together and that is what we do. For example, we partnered with various agencies to share resources and opportunities to reduce barriers to employment for people with disabilities.

For example, last year we co-hosted an event with community-based organizations and vendors on employment for people with disabilities. That was done in recognition of the 35th anniversary, and we highlighted individual stories shared. We had a panel moderated by MOPD that focused on a City employee who went through the internship process and was connected to a permanent 55-A job. So that is the Partnership for Inclusive Internships and the 55-A program. We were coordinating it, so we are all working together on that, to give an example.

(00:27:48)

So just to get some more clarity on this — this is currently being assessed by New York City Talent. Can you describe to me how the multiple offices are actually working together outside of one of the resource fairs or events?

(00:28:09)

Yes. We work together with three of these agencies across a variety of...

(00:28:14)

...programming specifically...

(00:28:15)

...tied to the plan in terms of tracking towards that goal. As I said, the Workforce One centers have a different model of operating, as does the Partnership for Inclusive Internships. We work regularly to help support and make sure that our Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion can help serve as that central coordinating body in terms of advocating for the system and making sure that we are bringing the stakeholders together.

We have a strong advisory council that we work across, both internal and external organizations. There are some state entities and there are private entities like the Frick Collection and Microsoft, and that is a body that we can convene to share lessons learned. We are working in partnership with that council on creating an employer toolkit that will be for employers, nonprofits and job seekers on how to make sure that workplaces are more accessible and have reduced barriers for people with disabilities and connecting to jobs. That is all associated with this plan.

(00:29:22)

How many full-time employees are across all agencies dedicated to its implementation?

(00:29:33)

Across all of the agencies — I can speak to start with the Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion. We have two dedicated staff, though all of the staff working across our entire office make sure that every team is feeding into the broader work of our office to make sure that we are always prioritizing people with disabilities in the work and mindful of that.

(00:29:53)

I cannot speak for the staffing models at the other agencies, but I am happy to pass the mic off. Hi, I am Evie Mayor Fox, Director of Programs for the At Work program at MOPD. I am a white woman with brown hair pulled back, a grey jacket and blue shirt. I can respond for the At Work program. We have six full-time staff that support employment for New Yorkers with disabilities.

(00:30:18)

And is that separate from the specific plan initiative that has the concrete goal of 2,500?

(00:30:28)

Our team connects job seekers with disabilities to employment and that counts towards the 2,500 goal.

(00:30:34)

And then in terms of the City agencies who are working alongside you — do they have separate staff?

(00:30:47)

Yes. We do not have staff dedicated just to this plan. We operate a citywide system. It is mostly federal — it is overwhelmingly federally funded — and it is 17 physical centers all over the five boroughs. It is that system that has served and connected over 1,200 New Yorkers with disabilities and placed them into jobs, and that is the number that ladders up to the 3,800 number at the end of the last calendar year.

(00:31:16)

Understood, and I do want to stay focused on that work itself. I think you brought up a question of tracking and...

(00:31:23)

...ensuring accountability. We take this work incredibly seriously. I wanted to also report out that in this first six-month period of FY26...

(00:31:31)

...which is the last half of last year, we served over 2,600 New Yorkers with disabilities. That reflects over two-thirds of the number served annually in FY25, so we are already definitively on track to surpass the last fiscal year numbers in this fiscal year. We care about this work, we are tracking it internally, and our partners at City Hall and Executive Director Lee and his team have a quarterly update across all of our partner agencies. City Hall is looking at these numbers on a quarterly basis and making sure we are meeting the milestones as they approach.

The funding commitment runs through 2029. What will happen to these programs after that? Because of the variety of programs across different City agencies, the Workforce One centers are federally funded, so that is one funding source. There are different funding sources and I cannot speak to each one of those. We are excited about the co-design process, which is just launching. We will look to see what we learn from that initiative. The work we have done to date is something we are very proud of, and we are very excited about the work ahead as well, which is part of this investment. This work is still in progress and we are continuing to assess, as we do this work, what is working and how we can make sure that we are maximizing the investments across the...

(00:33:14)

...City. And Harris, you mentioned the data tracking that is happening. Are you all able to share publicly about the placement rates...

(00:33:26)

...the retention rates, wage levels at placements and advancement over time?

(00:33:31)

I understand all of the agencies have different levels of data collection and tracking for each of their programs, because these are distinct programs that are all laddering up to the milestone goal. To the extent that we have data that tracks with what you are looking for, we would love to share that. I think we definitely have the wage level numbers that we would be able to provide. We do not track retention other than the fact that job placements are happening, and then we have an employer that voluntarily lets us know that they have made the job placement, or we do a W-4 match to confirm that a job placement has been made.

(00:34:05)

So each agency has their own record-keeping system and it is not a standardized model in terms of tracking wages or where people have been placed. What is standardized?

(00:34:24)

Yeah. The workforce system here in the City is incredibly robust but it is also incredibly large. Depending on the count, there are over 150 different programs across 30 different City agencies, and workforce programming is not one type of thing. Just like people with disabilities are not a monolith, the programming is not either. There are some programs that City agencies have that are dedicated specifically towards connecting people with disabilities, but there is a lot of other workforce programming that is not discretely geared towards that. However, people with disabilities are connected through that programming.

We do our best to try to track, for purposes of counting towards this 3,800 number, programming that is serving people with disabilities, such as the Workforce One centers, for example, which are centers that anyone can walk into. The way that data is tracked varies depending on the particular agency but also depending on the particular type of programming and how dedicated it is...

(00:35:29)

...to one particular population or another. No, I get that. The workforce sector is not a monolith. But I think it does cause me some tension that we do not have something that is more standardized to understand, when a program like this is meant to ensure that people with disabilities are in all fields of work, not knowing if there is real retention in that...

(00:36:07)

I can speak to that. For the At Work program, through the process of embedding and integrating into the Workforce One center in Brooklyn, we have spent a considerable amount of time transitioning our database system to utilize the WorkSource One system. At this time, the At Work program and the Workforce One centers are using the same system, and we are working really closely to make sure that any data points that we have utilized, needed, had to track or wanted to understand better are also being addressed within the WorkSource One system. Additionally, At Work tracks retention and that is part of both our data collection and part of the service delivery, which the commissioner also mentioned in her initial testimony.

(00:36:52)

And is that data that you can share with us publicly?

(00:37:02)

Yes. And how much money is the City investing across the six fiscal years? It is $1.7 million.

(00:37:13)

What is the cost per placement?

(00:37:22)

Thus far, the cost per placement, based on publicly available data, falls well within the range of cost per placement for our workforce development programs in New York City. Due to the nature of people with disabilities and the variety of systemic barriers to employment, many job seekers benefit from more comprehensive, ongoing supportive services, and success is measured in interesting, incremental ways as we move it forward, which will better reflect in our data as we move...

(00:38:19)

...forward. The cost per placement — yes, which is something you do not have right now. I just want...

(00:38:26)

...to make sure. No, we do have data. We have research related to that and...

(00:38:35)

...then how do you know how that compares to benchmarks for comparable work programs?

(00:38:43)

Yeah. Similar to what I was mentioning before, workforce programming will generally vary quite a bit in terms of cost per placement depending on the type of work, and particularly when there is programming that is targeted towards people with particular barriers to employment, there is often a lot of supportive services and wraparound services, which increase the cost per placement. Any particular program may be more costly per person because the level of service is different and the type of services needed is different. So again...

(00:39:19)

...are you able to share maybe an example of what one cost could look like?

(00:39:29)

Some programming — I can speak to the Workforce One centers, which operate in a very different way in terms of the scale and scope and the particular cost per placement for that level of service, perhaps for one particular individual. Our Partnership for Inclusive Internships program, for example, is a program where we are actually using an innovative funding model where we at Talent are funding the staff of the nonprofit who is going to support this work, but the wages paid are actually through a state entity. That is one example where our investment is a portion of the actual total investment into the programming. That is just one example where there is a unique model, and so in terms of a specific dollar amount per individual, it varies depending on the type of services.

(00:40:23)

Similar to what the executive director mentioned, each of these workforce programs are incredibly different. Some are specifically tailored for the population of New Yorkers with disabilities, such as the At Work program or We Care, and other programs in the system such as the Workforce One system are open to all. It is federally funded and requires that any New Yorker get access to it. We have done a cost-per-placement analysis for that system. Again, it is for all New Yorkers and so it is not really...

(00:40:49)

...segmented for a target population. But that number is $1,314 — that is roughly what it costs us to make one placement at our Workforce One centers. Why is that not also segmented by disability?

(00:41:03)

It is an analysis of our work. The federal funding stream requires that the funding stream and the services are accessible to all. When we did the cost-per-placement analysis, our mandate was the citywide workforce system and the general adult population — how are we making these connections and what is it costing us. That is the lens with which we conducted that analysis, which led to the $1,314 number. Just for reference, that means for every dollar invested into the system we are seeing a return of roughly 21% annually. So for every dollar invested into the adult workforce system, the City is capturing 21% of the economic benefit of having more people in the workforce.

(00:41:49)

I mean, that is great, but it still does not give a picture of the population that I think we as a committee are most interested in. I think that the City should have clear analysis as to how much investment is going towards getting anyone with disabilities who is looking for work...

(00:42:12)

...placed. I also wanted to share the retention rate.

(00:42:18)

The proportion of participants engaging in retention support has increased from 25% to 65%. That is over the last three years as the team has developed more structured and robust engagement strategies and many more have responded to our outreach. That is an important data point. After one year, approximately 65% of participants remain employed at the 12-month mark, so that is a very big deal, especially given the recent climate, which is really hard for any...

(00:43:18)

...job seeker. It has been a success story from our perspective.

(00:43:25)

I think that is fantastic. Do you credit that to MOPD's work, or what would you say is allowing for greater retention?

(00:43:35)

I will say I am very proud of the incredible staff doing the At Work program and I think they are fantastic. I would say that is what I feel from our perspective.

(00:43:56)

And how many staff are working specifically on the At Work program? Six.

(00:44:03)

And has that changed from previous years? It has varied a little bit over the last several years, but we have generally hovered around six. The structure of the team has changed, particularly over the last two years. Among the six staff, three of them are working out of the Workforce One center and delivering those direct services. The other staff are observing and performing other functions on the team. Got it. And then for At Work, how many placements was it achieving annually prior to the City...

(00:44:48)

When At Work was first established, the program was entirely privately funded, and that was about almost 10 years ago. After the initial three years of our pilot, we transitioned to being funded by the City. In the earlier years of the program we had a little bit higher placement rate than we have had for the last several years. I think that is largely due to the way that our staff has transitioned and adapted to the change of working in the workforce. That is something that really required us to undergo some significant changes, which are now yielding more results. Over the last few years we have had an uptick in employment since we have been in the workforce.

I think that some of that change has also been, as the Commissioner mentioned, a result of the economy. So prior to the City funding, when there was private funding, you are saying that placement rates were a little bit higher. A little bit higher. I would say before the pandemic, and that coincided with the period of time when we were primarily privately funded. Then as we shifted into being funded through tax dollars, we also had the pandemic. We were working fully remotely, and over the last almost three years we have transitioned into our new structure working at Workforce One and delivering in-person services. Over that period of time the hires have increased again.

I would add that this was the first time since COVID that we do in-person processing, and that has been a very big deal. The data shows that between July 2023 and June 2025 we had 168 people with disabilities receive services and helped 199 individuals get employment. So that is an increase, and we did work on a range of other things, but we are increasing that as we recognize ways that we can identify our work and ways that it can work.

(00:47:08)

Well, to people with disabilities specifically, and for the six staffers who support the network, what are their titles and functions, and is the administration's view that current staffing levels are sufficient to meet the programming?

(00:47:25)

I can respond to the first part of that question. So I am the Director of Programs, and we have a Community Engagement Manager who largely oversees our public sector employment partners, so works very closely with city agencies. We have a Business Engagement Coordinator who works more with our private sector employer partners. We have a Manager of Career Services who oversees a team of two additional career advisers, and among the three of them they work at the Workforce One Center providing service delivery and also supporting all of the work that has been done to increase accessibility and inclusion within that center more broadly. Related to employment numbers, we are working with City Hall and OMB on general matters, and that includes the At Work program.

(00:48:27)

Good to know. Could you share what the budget for the fiscal year is and what share of the budget is City funded versus funded through other sources, such as grants or state dollars, if any?

(00:48:44)

So in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 it was $543,882, and in the next years 2026 and 2027 it will be $584,000 and some change. It is all City tax levy dollars. So no private funding.

(00:49:15)

Okay. What accommodations or supports are available for participants who, because of the nature of their disability, cannot engage effectively with the self-directed model, which is my understanding of At Work?

(00:49:31)

So yes, our program is primarily self-driven and self-directed. We work really closely with our partners at the state, so that is Access, as well as over 80 provider and community-based organizations that provide additional support that is intended to supplement the work that our team provides. It is part of our work with those other service providers so that we are able to work in partnership to support that individual.

At this point, could you again just clarify how you all are engaging with folks who may not be able to use the current model? Sure. So I would say there are two options. One is when an individual comes to us, if they face a challenge or difficulty with utilizing the program as it is structured now, if they are already working with another provider we will include that provider in that engagement. We will connect them to another provider and can do that engagement in a situation where the individual does not demonstrate the reading level that our program entails. At that point we would connect them to somebody who would be able to provide them with more robust or comprehensive services to supplement our work.

(00:50:57)

Depending on that individual, they then come back to the At Work program and kind of continue the partnership. It just depends a little bit on the person.

(00:51:08)

And could you just share one more time how many participants are in the At Work program?

(00:51:16)

Sure. So I would say on average we have around 200 individuals who are engaged in an ongoing way, so they will maintain communication with their career adviser until they are connected to employment and then through that year after. Then we have individuals who start engagement and then do not continue it, and there will be individuals who will come to us for one specific opportunity when they could be hired, and then they kind of move on.

(00:51:44)

And I would say on average we are engaging with 700 to 800 plus individuals per year.

(00:51:54)

And what proportion of these participants are accessing retention support?

(00:52:01)

So among the individuals who have been hired at this point, I would say probably around 60% have been utilizing retention support over the last year, which as the Commissioner mentioned has increased over the last few years. And then in the 12-month period, what is the retention rate for the program? About 65%.

(00:52:19)

And then you mentioned career advisers. How many career advisers are there?

(00:52:25)

So we have two individuals who are career advisers, and then we have a Manager of Career Services who also serves as a career adviser in addition to their manager functions.

(00:52:34)

And has that model been sufficient to ensure that all folks who are part of the program have the support they need?

(00:52:49)

I think that we want to continue the conversation with OMB and other parties to figure out how we can continue to support our job seekers.

(00:52:58)

But we would love if we could have another workforce adviser and expand, but we will talk to City Hall about that.

(00:53:10)

You mentioned the career advisers are at the Workforce One Centers. Yes, so they...

(00:53:15)

Currently work out of the Workforce One Center in downtown Brooklyn, so they provide services in person. But since we are only in one location at this time, they also continue to provide additional services either by phone or virtually.

(00:53:29)

Got it. And do folks have to make appointments to communicate with them? What is the process?

(00:53:37)

Generally speaking, our preference is for individuals to set appointments, but the Workforce One is an open center and so if someone comes in who does not have an appointment, one of the career advisers will...

(00:53:52)

Meet with them there. And how quickly is a career adviser able to see someone on site or by phone?

(00:54:01)

On site, if an individual comes into the center, we will do our best to make sure that that person is seen that day for at least an assessment of what they are looking for and an understanding of their career goals. For an individual who reaches out to us virtually, it might take several weeks to have that screening appointment due to the volume of individuals.

(00:54:26)

And can you walk me through maybe an example of what an interaction could look like, what kind of career support someone might be looking for from a career adviser and what the career adviser would share as a resource?

(00:54:46)

Generally the first conversations are around what that individual's goals are and what kind of work they are looking for, what their job search process is already like, and what their experience and education is. Usually the first comprehensive engagement is around a particular job application. Whether it is a position that we have made available to our job seekers or a position that that person has found on their own, the career adviser will first help assess that the individual meets the qualifications for the position. Then if and when they do, they will work with that job seeker to make sure that their application materials really demonstrate the strength of their candidacy, so tailoring it for the specific job, making sure the cover letter is clear and demonstrates their interest in the company — all the things that everyone really works on when they are applying for jobs.

Then after the application is submitted, the career advisers will facilitate interview prep, and generally as people continue to be successful in those they will have multiple rounds. We actually have somebody who just completed her sixth interview for the same position and we are expecting that the offer is coming soon. Once someone receives an offer, or even throughout the interview process, the career adviser provides guidance on navigating that process. That also includes navigating a reasonable accommodation request so that individual makes sure that they have that whether it is in an interview or when they are starting the job.

In the case particularly of city government work, but really with a lot of employers, there is also additional assistance available for completing some of those online application packages. For city government there is a lot of information that you need to provide, and many of our employer partners require something similar. So ensuring that individuals are able to complete that in a timely way, and then assisting with other components of onboarding. Again in the case of city government, if it is a 55-a eligible position, that individual will need to be enrolled in either Access or the New York State Commission for the Blind. So we make sure that that is something that person is able to do in those first few days, making sure that they get started and have a really fantastic couple of days. Then checking in and engaging intermittently through that first year, and the frequency does depend a little bit on the job seeker's interest level. Sometimes if there are challenges we support them more comprehensively. There are opportunities where we will also engage with the employer in a similar manner, and that will usually hopefully take them through that first year. Sometimes somebody will be ready for a promotion and we will support them through that process.

(00:57:36)

In that first year as well. And are you all keeping track of career advancements and promotions?

(00:57:48)

And I want to invite you to join me in going to Workforce One so you can see in person how it is going and tell your constituents.

(00:57:59)

To go to At Work if they are looking for a job placement. I just wanted to mention that.

(00:58:07)

Absolutely. And so how is the City doing outreach to make sure that New Yorkers know?

(00:58:14)

So I can respond on behalf of the At Work program, but I think our partners can respond as well. We do our best to respond yes every time we are invited to any community engagement event. We do a lot of community outreach. We respond to a lot of constituent calls and just people who reach out to our office because they are looking for employment and do not realize that our program is available. We work with all of the provider agencies and community organizations to provide information sessions for all of their participants as well. We have been working really closely in particular over the last six months or so with the New York Public Library and the Brooklyn Public Library to make sure that both their patrons with disabilities are aware of our program and also providing support for their career services staff to supplement some of the work that we are doing in terms of some direct service as well.

(00:59:11)

And is that specifically the Workforce One Centers or the At Work program?

(00:59:18)

Speaking for the At Work program, we are promoting our program. We also include information about Workforce One because when somebody wants to come see us in person they will come to Workforce One, and as part of the enrollment process every individual will need to come to the center once just to complete the enrollment for participation. That is part of how we are able...

(00:59:38)

To share it. They need to come to the center once, as in physically? Yes, that is part of the enrollment process for Workforce One. Why is that? I think that is how the Workforce One enrollment process works, and so as part of embedding and integrating into that center we are trying to take steps to avoid confusion and duplication of intake and things like that. We have been taking steps to align with their enrollment process at the Workforce One Center. Could you speak more on the piece about needing to be physically present?

(01:00:18)

So we do provide services virtually as well. On the actual enrollment requirements, we can follow up. The funding stream is federally funded, so there are significant federal requirements on how we are collecting data, what is being asked, how we are storing data and reporting. We have levels of oversight with the federal government, with the state government, and then we also coordinate with our city agencies that oversee some of this work.

(01:00:44)

Have you heard from New Yorkers about experiencing hardship because they were unable to physically be present at a center, and how did they know they could go ahead and...

(01:01:02)

Pursue a virtual option?

(01:01:03)

Yes, I am getting my sense that...

(01:01:06)

Our services are also available virtually. If you cannot physically access our services, you are able to receive them virtually, and that is what we did during that two-year period of time. We were not requiring New Yorkers to enter the Workforce One Center physically. But we will follow up with our teams to understand what might be the concern that has led to this confusion. Yeah, we will follow up, but my sense is that all of our services can be virtually accessed as well.

During COVID they were. I think we have gone back to a time when we are now also wanting New Yorkers to physically enter our centers. Our locations are also located across all five boroughs. We have 17 centers, so you are not necessarily required to visit the Brooklyn center. If you are a New Yorker with a disability, the Brooklyn center is our pilot program where we have got this incredible integration between the At Work team and the center team, and the lessons that we are learning here alongside the work we are doing with SBS on the systems change initiative we are implementing across the network. So now all of our center staff — 151 — are trained on disability etiquette.

(01:02:14)

There was some training done across the 17 centers. They are trained across the 17 centers.

(01:02:19)

They were trained in 2024 and they were trained again earlier this year. So there is coordination there. We have a team of two disability resource coordinators. They are also having office hours at these centers to provide support. So it is not just a one-and-done training of our center staff. We have got office hours with disability resource coordinators on staff that are going into these centers and reminding them of the resources that exist, teaching them about the warm handoffs that they could make for referrals to other benefit providers. So there is a whole feedback loop that is informing the work, and every year we are intending to do better. That is something demonstrated by the fact that already we have surpassed two thirds of the annual goal this fiscal year in the first six months. And then just broadly on outreach about the Workforce One Centers, what is the City doing?

(01:03:11)

So because it is a 17-center network, we are in local communities all over the five boroughs. Our center staff themselves will go out to local communities, attend community board meetings, go to events organized by local nonprofits whenever invitations come in. We are intending to be there. We also have a jobs team that focuses particularly on neighborhoods with really persistent levels of unemployment, and for those neighborhoods we are also doing localized hiring halls in those communities. Our disability service resource coordinators have actually trained our jobs team that has been organizing these hiring halls to ensure that when we plan out these hiring halls we are mindful of how we are setting up the tables and chairs, what the entrance and exit look like, and ensuring it is accessible. And just to clarify, 17 centers, not 18.

(01:04:04)

17 centers and one floating center where we are in the community using another facility in the neighborhood, but yes, 18 centers total, 17 physical.

(01:04:16)

So aside from what seems like neighborhood outreach and providers reaching out for information on the Workforce One Centers, is there anything more citywide that has been developed to express to New Yorkers that this is available?

(01:04:38)

We have done marketing campaigns. We usually have LinkedIn ads and other marketing campaigns directed at neighborhoods that are facing persistent levels of unemployment. So when you are in downtown Manhattan around City Hall you do not see tons of those ads, but when you are in neighborhoods with high need you are seeing some of those ads on LinkedIn. You are seeing some of them on bus shelters when we have the budget for marketing and when we are not under budget constraints.

(01:05:05)

And what do you see as an effective way to do outreach?

(01:05:13)

It is really been an all of the above approach, but particularly this neighborhood-based approach of going deep into communities — not having people come to a particular location to get services, but also bringing services into local communities — has really worked. And the Jobs Works just speaks for itself, where we are organizing roughly two to three large-scale hiring events in local communities every month. We are promoting it widely. They are always packed out. We have got employers — roughly a dozen employers for each of these events — that are doing on-site job interviews and connections.

We have also partnered with City agencies, so DCAS and other agencies are also able to participate in these hiring events. We also have a mobile van that we call Jobs E — it is our nickname for this event — and we bring that out to local communities. When we do not do a full-scale event, we will table with that van. It serves as a nice billboard and also has a computer inside, so if you are providing resume help to a constituent that needs it, we have center staff available. They can walk into the van and help do some of that work.

(01:06:15)

So the mobile — is that by appointment? How are we getting out to different parts of the City? Because I am thinking about the idea of the van, which...

(01:06:28)

It is a nice-to-have. We have, you know, bringing into the neighborhood...

(01:06:33)

I am actually very biased. I got to know the Commissioner through her incredible leadership in setting up the program and the incredible benefit it is to New Yorkers — not only New Yorkers, but immigrant New Yorkers — and so nothing can ever compete with her work on it. And now the idea and their van... but our humble van also does go out into communities. We do do appointments. Sometimes we will partner with a local organization if they want to do a full-blown event where we are marketing it ahead of time and we have scheduled slots for appointments, and we do it that way. If we cannot do it that way because the event is a large community festival and not a structured event, we will still table and we will have the staff available to do one-on-one services, even if it is not by appointment. So it really varies depending on the situation.

(01:07:17)

How are you deciding where to go?

(01:07:21)

If we have the staff capacity, we will go anywhere across the five boroughs.

(01:07:25)

And so let us say like this week or this month — what does the...

(01:07:31)

...calendar looking like? There is Jobs E, and there is also Mobi, which is our mobile outreach resource for business services.

(01:07:39)

It is hard for me to know exactly where both of those vehicles are out. But as you can imagine, we serve over a hundred thousand New Yorkers every year on the workforce side and over 25,000 New Yorkers on the business side. It is hard for me to know exactly where those units are and also what our staff's plan is, because we do not just limit our outreach to those vehicles. We are also going out to table separate from those vehicles. We are also doing other events, co-sponsoring events, organizing our own events in local communities. So across all of that work, we end up serving a hundred thousand New Yorkers.

(01:08:13)

And then for the floating model, are the staff members who are supporting that process coming from the 151?

(01:08:28)

Okay. Going back to the specialized hiring events — since 2021, at Work has conducted 15 events. How many of those resulted in hires that were still employed 90 days later, and how many employers who hired through the program have become repeat...

(01:09:00)

...partners? So for the events themselves, some of them are co-hosted with partners in a way that we do not necessarily have access to hiring data. But I would say that about 10 of the 15 have resulted in hires with at least 90-day retention.

(01:09:16)

And why do you all not have the hiring data for some of the...

(01:09:19)

So, for example, we co-hosted a career fair with the New York State Department of Labor and the Bronx Borough President's office, and they managed that component of the event. We worked with them to ensure that the event was accessible and inclusive. We supported promotion. We provided disability etiquette awareness training to all the employers that attended the event, as well as prep work for any of the job seekers who were interested in attending the event. But due to the nature of that event, the other partners were responsible for the management of the attendees and...

(01:09:58)

Does that happen...

(01:10:01)

...frequently? No. Most of our events are, as I said, about 10 of the 15 are ones that we have oversight of the attendance and follow-up. From those events we have had individuals who have retained employment. Overall, in terms of our ongoing partnership with employers, I would say about 20 or so employers become repeat partners. Sometimes it is through an event, sometimes it is not.

For example, within the City, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has attended and participated in many of our citywide recruitments that we host annually with DCAS. After our last one this past July, one particular unit followed up with us and we hosted an interview day for one unit for five jobs and we filled three of them. We are working with a new unit as of the last few weeks to potentially develop that model. We have been in communication with some other agencies that are looking for public sector candidates. We have had a couple of employers — for example, we have done a couple of healthcare recruitments in partnership with Workforce1's Healthcare Career Center. That partnership with that center in particular has been really, really fruitful. We had a couple of employers that were interested in those recruitments but were not able to attend, but we have since been able to connect individuals to jobs at those employers. Those are the Children's Rescue Fund and Mount Sinai.

(01:11:35)

And just going back to the piece about not collecting the participation and attendee information — do the main partners then do the follow-up work? Because it seems like we are losing a whole slate of people who participated and...

(01:12:03)

They will have opportunities to check in. Generally speaking, as I said, our events are ones where we are the lead planner and host of those events, and in those cases we do have oversight of engagement and follow-up. For ones where we have less oversight, we still make sure that any participants are aware that our program is not just a one-time opportunity and that they can continue to participate in our program. I can even give an example — I mentioned there was someone who has just completed a sixth interview for a job, and she was connected to our program through the event that we did with the Bronx Borough President's office just a few months ago. So we do continue to engage with people who participate in those events.

(01:12:43)

And then just in terms of attendance — is that data not important?

(01:12:50)

Yes, and that is why we try to host or co-host and lead on those events so that we are able to track the information.

(01:12:59)

And so I am just trying to understand — when there is an event like the one you did with the Borough President, if you all are not having that attendance data, is that something you all decided? How and why are we all okay with that exception?

(01:13:25)

I do not think we are necessarily okay with it. In this particular example, that was an event that they have hosted a couple of years. This past year was the first time that they engaged our office in the planning and production of the event, and it was already in process. I think that through the opportunity of partnering with them on that event, both parties have recognized the benefit of including our office earlier in the planning process. So, for example, we did deliver a disability awareness and etiquette training for the entire staff of the Bronx Borough President's office so that they have an overview of the office as a whole — not only do they understand how to more effectively engage their constituents with disabilities, they also have a better understanding of the opportunity our office provides so that they can connect individuals as appropriate.

(01:14:14)

And I will add that when we do co-host and we are not leading, we are also doing advocacy. So if we work with the Bronx Borough President, it is an advocacy moment to share our benefits and our access to job seekers with disabilities. We do not get the direct access for data and all that, but the goal is to work it out behind the scenes so that we have that constant communication in the future.

(01:14:53)

And how else are elected officials engaging with the work?

(01:14:58)

Yeah. So as Abby mentioned, we work with Borough Presidents et cetera. But we would love to have Council Members and elected officials contribute where their constituents are seeking job opportunities, including those who are people with disabilities. We would love to have a presentation for all City Council Members. We can talk about that, but we would really love to have you involved in reaching out to people with disabilities who need jobs.

(01:15:45)

Absolutely. So going back to the plan — the 2,500 placement goal, of course, represents a very small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of working-age New Yorkers with disabilities who are unemployed or underemployed. How did the administration determine that 2,500 was the right goal?

(01:16:11)

That was based on some data that was evaluated at the time, including both actual data and anecdotal data, and from what our partners were thinking. So the 2,500 goal was set based on that point in time and some of the information that we had. We are excited that we are exceeding the goal. I think that also warrants scrutiny of what the future looks like in terms of future goals potentially, or how we are serving. We are always looking to continue to evaluate the programming and the data collection process. And just to add to what we are discussing right now — a lot of this work is still very much in progress, and prior to having things in place there was no tracking of this at all. So we are certainly proud of the work...

(01:16:57)

...that has happened in terms of connecting 3,800 people, but we also know that there is always more work to be done — both on the actual work but also on how we are tracking, reporting and collecting data.

(01:17:09)

Highlighting, Chair, some of those areas of focus, and we are happy to continue the conversation on how to continue to track. Of the 3,800 placements achieved to date, are you all record-keeping on whether individuals with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities or psychiatric disabilities have been hired? How are you all assessing what within the disability spectrum — who is getting hired?

(01:17:46)

So again, it depends specifically on the type of programming and how data is...

(01:17:52)

...collected. Can you give an example? Yeah. So for the Partnership for Inclusive Internships, for example, we run all of those through state vocational agencies — so ACCES-VR and the Commission for the Blind — and so we know that through that data collection process there is a little more robust data. Whereas I do not want to oversimplify it, but the Workforce1 centers operate in a different model and some programming is based on self-identification. So we are mindful of...

(01:18:29)

...both the different programs, how they operate and how data is collected, but also in terms of...

(01:18:33)

...the experience as a job seeker of the questions that you are being asked in order to access services. So it is always a balance in terms of the information that we are collecting and being mindful of the sensitivities around digging deep into anyone's identity — whether it is any type of...

(01:18:55)

...disability, race, gender identity et cetera. So different programs operate in different ways in terms of some of the data collection points. Most of the data we are collecting in terms of the 3,800 does capture individuals with disabilities, but we do know through some of the programs that are more geared toward that, they do span a diverse range of individuals with different types of disabilities — from physical disabilities to mental health challenges to low visibility disabilities et cetera. So that is being recorded in certain programs and it is not in certain programs.

(01:19:31)

Because I am interested in better understanding what kinds of disabilities employers are okay hiring, and of course that sort of falls into conversations about workplace discrimination and just better understanding who within the disability community is more vulnerable and unlikely to get hired.

(01:20:06)

Yeah. So my guess — and we will research this more — is that all people with disabilities have difficulty getting hired. So when I was 37, I did not have a disability and I could get every job that I applied for. It was because of my qualifications et cetera. Then after I got a disability, it was harder for me to get jobs. I was rejected. I am the same person, but I showed a disability and I was rejected on several job opportunities. And so if I can have that challenge, I am sure that there are many other people with disabilities who have that same concern. So I do not know if it is like they have a speech disability or a physical disability — I think it matters across the board. And I think that is why I am so excited working on employment for people with disabilities, because we help everyone get the right jobs for them.

(01:21:22)

Building on that, do you all get an opportunity to give feedback to employers?

(01:21:32)

I can respond to that on behalf of the work program. It is case by case and depends on the employer and the nature of the relationship that we have with them. Part of the way that we build relationships with our employer partners is to be able to have some sort of feedback loop. Generally speaking, we find that employers in the interview process are less forthcoming with feedback. I think that is true outside of the workforce development system as well. But we do try, particularly as people move along the hiring process, to be able to develop a rapport to get feedback, and then also to be able to provide our concerns in terms of ways in which that employer may be — perhaps unintentionally — less accessible than they thought they were. And I would say those are conversations that, because we build direct partnerships, they are often receptive to addressing.

(01:22:28)

That is also why we try, as a starting point of our relationship development both in the public and private sector, to do a disability etiquette and awareness training — to make sure that we are kind of level-setting language and understanding of disability, creating a safe space to have that communication, so that when there are challenges at any point we have that kind of starting point for that conversation and can think about it a little bit more comprehensively. And how are you all recruiting employer partners?

(01:23:01)

So some of it is a response to outreach from employers who contact our office. Sometimes they reach out to us just for a question about a particular employee that they are having a challenge with, and then we try to engage them more fully. A lot of it is word of mouth and referrals. We also do cold calling and outreach. We have also been working with a lot of employer networks. So, for example, we have been working with the New York Tech Alliance to be able to engage more employers that work in tech. We have been working with some disability arts networks that work with a wide range of cultural institutions to be able to expand our work in arts. And with the City, we have a really great partner in DCAS, who we are able to really comprehensively engage with City agencies. And let me ask — have you all experienced...

(01:23:55)

...any barriers to employment that folks with disabilities are not at all present in? That is a good question. I think it is hard to say for sure what sectors or employers do or do not have people with disabilities in them. I generally operate under the assumption that those individuals are there — they just may not have disclosed or their employer may not be aware of that. But you know, employment has changed. In terms of the jobs that folks with disabilities are getting hired into, are there fields that you are seeing are not representative?

(01:24:43)

I think that among the job seekers that we work with there are some skills gaps. As employment has changed and become more heavily reliant on tech, certain areas have shifted. But that is speaking specifically for our set of job seekers. I think that our goal is a field that is more accessible and inclusive, and ways in which we can work with our partners to address some of those sector-based barriers is something that we are working together on. For at Work in particular, we have been trying to figure out what opportunities there are to address some of those skills gaps a little bit more comprehensively. It is a challenging job market right now.

(01:25:32)

And with the skills gaps, how is at Work, or just more broadly, supporting folks in ensuring that they have learned to use a laptop or whatever devices are necessary for a job?

(01:25:55)

Yes. So the digital divide is definitely a significant barrier. At Work has provided computers directly to job seekers who did not have either a computer at all or something that was usable, particularly around 2021 and 2022. We did have a pilot program with Strive International where we worked with them too. I ran a skills training that was a little bit more entry level computer skills and Microsoft Office skills. And it is something that

(01:26:27)

now in our kind of new structure within the one, we are in a position where we are able to utilize the resources and trainings that Workforce One offers and then also consider how we can do that a little bit more comprehensively in the future.

(01:26:41)

Well, and what are those trainings that Workforce One centers offer? So at our hub centers we offer digital literacy workshops and we also have computer labs at all of our centers. Workforce One has all of the 17 physical centers. Those computers are voluntary. Are you talking about... are they a part of a digital literacy class, or

(01:27:06)

so there are digital literacy workshops that happen at the five hub centers and then across all of our centers, even the one... there is a center not too far away from here, a 10 minute walk on Wall Street, where if you are a new... you want to apply for jobs, there is a computer lab available for you. You could walk in, no appointment needed, connect with our staff, get a sense of your career counseling needs, get some resume help. You could even edit your resume at one of our computers in that computer lab and that is available at all of our centers.

(01:27:37)

But I would also add that work we can do more is the cross

(01:27:44)

relationships. So with seniors with disabilities, it is harder for them to get comfortable with a computer and all of that kind of stuff, so I am hoping to meet with the aging commissioner soon and collaborate on these issues. Because for veterans with disabilities, that connection between agencies that relate to disabilities is important and we are trying to move that forward now.

(01:28:19)

So at the current moment, does my office do skills building trainings or refer them

(01:28:29)

out? Right now we refer job seekers to available trainings

(01:28:35)

within the Workforce One center or to our partners. But it is something that, as I said, we have been trying to assess our capacity and what the opportunities are for that to be something that our team can respond to more comprehensively.

(01:28:49)

Yeah, I think it would be important to just better understand what obstacles folks with disabilities are experiencing outside of their disabilities that is perhaps preventing them from securing a permanent job, and for our City to better understand that to be able to ensure that we are filling those gaps. Since you brought up veterans and older folks, do you all have data in terms of what age group of people with disabilities are more likely to be able to get a job? I believe we have that, not here, but we will provide it

(01:29:37)

afterwards, because we are working with Veterans Services and the aging so we can share that information after.

(01:29:47)

And do aging and Veterans Services keep specific data on folks with disabilities? Yes. OK. I want to come to some questions about the federal threats. So the City Controller is estimating that 725,000 New York City Medicaid enrollees will lose their coverage through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, with work reporting requirements and recertification, and 23,000 more New Yorkers will lose essential planned coverage effective July 1, 2026. Has the City assessed how many current or prospective participants in At Work, SCION and HSEI are among those at risk of losing Medicaid

(01:30:42)

coverage this summer? So I will begin and then turn it over to others. So the work requirements, Medicaid cuts and the SNAP benefits... theoretically, people with disabilities will be exempt. However, it is not clear because there is no finite rule yet. So we have been working with other City agencies to determine that, and in fact yesterday I spoke with the commissioner about the population of people with disabilities and how that might have an impact on the federal cuts and SNAP benefits. We are going to research that because I think that is a smaller set and we could actually make it zero if we figure out a creative way to deal with that. So that is something that we have been talking about right now.

(01:31:53)

And what kind of outreach will the City do to help program participants retain coverage or document exemptions before the July 1 deadline? Yeah, so I would say they are doing extensive outreach and a campaign to move that forward and they want all City agencies and offices to be involved, and so that is in the works. Home and community based services, the services that allow people with significant disabilities to live and work, are among the optional Medicaid benefits most vulnerable to state cuts once federal revenues decline. Has the City modeled how potential reductions would affect workforce participation among current Workforce One... those

(01:33:05)

projections... we do not have specific data on those particular programs. But as the commissioner mentioned, the cuts ahead are potentially dramatically impacting a broad swath of New Yorkers, including people with disabilities. It is something that the City is very much focused on and making sure that people are maintaining their benefits and have the information. So we are mindful of the threats that are coming. We know that these are being framed as trying to be an effective workforce development tool for connecting people. That is not the case. These are cruel cuts ahead. So we are doing all we can to make sure that New Yorkers are informed, that the network is being led, and that New Yorkers are supported to make sure that they are maintaining benefits and have connection to the services that they need, and then continuing to evaluate in terms of how we are structuring our programming and allocating funding to make sure that we are best serving New Yorkers across a variety of different backgrounds and demographics.

(01:34:14)

So with leading on the information piece, how are you all contributing to

(01:34:22)

that? There are many different City agencies that are working hand in hand with City Hall and even partners across the state to make sure that information is being collected. We are monitoring what some of these things are, as they are still uncertain, and so we are plugged into that work to see from the workforce development piece how we can be supportive. I will have the commissioner speak to that.

(01:34:48)

Yeah, so I think that every agency or every office has a role they could play. And so for us, it is the disability community and what people will get exempt and what will not get exempt or other issues, so that is our main goal. But every agency, with their specific work that they have been doing, is engaged on this. And then on an individual level there are multiple advocacy tools and materials on the looming federal cuts and their impact.

(01:35:46)

Yeah, and that is one of the things that we are going to talk about. We do not want to put that out to the broader public because we do not want people to be scared. So once we find out if that will impact some disability communities compared to others, we will assess and figure out what makes the most sense, but more targeted rather than broad.

(01:36:11)

And are you getting outreach from folks with disabilities on the question about the potential federal cuts and what is coming?

(01:36:20)

Yeah, I mean, like I imagine every agency... people are nervous. I am nervous. Everybody is nervous. And so what we want to do is to calm the nervousness for some, but provide support for those who need it.

(01:36:40)

And in our case it is a complicated dance because we are not going

(01:36:47)

to have all people exempt. We are not going to have all people being cut, so we have to figure out how to move that forward. And does the City have a contingency plan if federal funding is reduced? Would the City be prepared to provide City funded bridge services for individuals who lose... who can no longer maintain employment?

(01:37:22)

I think that the administration is thinking about this consistently and I do not have the exact thoughts that they have, but from the mayor on down we are very concerned about this and the impact that it will have on New York City. It is not just one agency. It is a nationwide problem. I am really relieved to hear that the administration is laser focused on ensuring that New Yorkers know what is coming and the supports available. I would definitely urge earlier rather than later on this information.

(01:38:11)

Yeah. The new work requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act require certain Medicaid recipients to document 80 hours per month of qualifying activity. People with disabilities who qualify for an exemption are still going to need to document that exemption. What is the City doing to ensure that New Yorkers with disabilities know their rights, can document their exemption and do not lose Medicaid coverage through administrative failure rather than ineligibility?

(01:38:43)

I am actually not sure if people who are exempt need to do that 80 hour requirement, but I will double check that. But in general we want to use our communication platform to share that out to people, again keeping in mind that some people are exempt and may not require the same level of concern as people who have cuts looming, and so that is what we are discussing deeply.

(01:39:27)

And then a ProPublica investigation published last month revealed the Trump administration is actively finalizing a rule that would deduct the value of a disabled adult's bedroom from their monthly payments if any family member in the household receives SNAP, regardless of their family's income. For a disabled adult living at home with low-income parents, this could reduce SSI by up to one third, approximately $330 per month, or eliminate it entirely. Has the administration taken a formal position on this proposed rule through advocacy to the New York congressional delegation or any other

(01:40:11)

channel? We have not, but I would love to pursue that because I did not know it existed and so it was really great to share that. Thank

(01:40:24)

you. Of course. Coming to some more questions on employment discrimination. What is the working relationship between MOPD and CCHR?

(01:40:34)

A good relationship. We have a new commissioner and so I had a meeting with her early on and we are doing some convenings with her as well. As we move forward we would partner with

(01:40:54)

CCHR. I can also add that over the last several years we have also co-hosted "Know Your Rights" related to employment workshops. So it is simply a long term partnership.

(01:41:10)

And then when a participant in a City disability employment program experiences discrimination or an accommodation denial from their employer, is there a formal referral pathway to CCHR and if yes, how does it work

(01:41:27)

in practice? So for At Work in particular, we will make a referral to CCHR but we do not get directly involved in that

(01:41:36)

process. And is anyone tracking whether those referrals result in relief?

(01:41:43)

Not as I said, we just do not get involved directly in that process. And is that just because of the function of MOPD?

(01:41:54)

Yeah, we are not an enforcement office and so that is the reason we cannot be involved in that process. But in terms of just better understanding the kinds of discriminatory experiences that folks are having, that is an important data point.

(01:42:26)

Oh, definitely. And we have on our website and in our disability training we have these types of barriers that we provide to anybody who wants to partake in this, and it includes Council members and your staff.

(01:42:52)

And then on the whole, the kinds of discrimination or accommodation denials... has there been any joint advocacy efforts to speak out against these kinds of negative activities?

(01:43:17)

We have not been actively involved, but we are talking to CCHR about advocacy or other ways that we can move the ball forward, especially... we have many more around the country and that is a very active space where we can maybe organize people to come to an advocacy tour. I did that when I was at MOYA and we created Cities for Action, and recreating that again would be fantastic. Would you know what kind of complaints are being filed through CCHR? No, but we can ask them to send you information if that is helpful.

(01:44:11)

So again, MOPD is tracking complaints and reports of discrimination. So if someone does share they are experiencing some kind of discriminatory behavior, you all refer to CCHR. That is great.

(01:44:42)

I know we have not talked at all about SCION, though it has come up, and also the 558 program. On SCION, SBS reported earlier this year, or last year rather, that the workforce system served more than 19,000 individuals with disabilities since the start of the previous administration. How is "served" defined for that figure? Does it mean job placement, program enrollment or a single interaction

(01:45:22)

with the career counselor? Thank you, Chair. I do not have the exact number that you are looking at, so apologies for that. I would not be able to directly respond to that. Happy to follow up on where you are getting the 19,000 served number from. But "served" would mean a consumption of service that could even be something like using one of the computer labs to do your resume editing, but it could be very intensive or not so intensive. It is deeper than just walking in. It is the service that is used. And then job placements: we have 1,200 jobs that were secured by New Yorkers with disabilities since 2024.

(01:46:06)

The SCION team completed accessibility walk-throughs of all the Workforce One career centers. Can you share the specific deficiencies that have been identified, what corrective actions were required and have all identified

(01:46:23)

deficiencies been remediated? To the degree that was possible and feasible with the resources that we have had, we have made significant improvements across the system. Some of them were behavioral changes by Workforce One center staff that were focused on the goal of serving the adult general population, not necessarily focused on a target population. So through the work of SCION and the three person team that we have doing this work for the 17 centers that serve 100,000 New Yorkers, that team is able to not only do trainings and accessibility checks, but follow up wherever we found behavioral changes were needed from our staff and to create a better, more welcoming and accessible environment. We then conducted change management work at the centers and we are now doing office hours with those centers so that the staff do not feel as though they did the training, were told to change some of their practices, and that is the end of the relationship. There is really an ability to consult with experts that are on staff. These are folks that were initially real experts on the subject matter and received training from the state as well, and we are working with them to improve our system. And you mentioned that there are three SCION staff members...

(01:47:44)

we have three currently on staff. Yes, we have two disability resource coordinators, we have a manager of that team and then we have, my understanding,

(01:47:55)

16 interns that are also serving as disability resource associates. They are interns who are all people with disabilities. Many of them are blind New Yorkers and they are all based... when they are working as part of their internship, we have them working at our Workforce One centers. It has been an incredible partnership with the State Commission for the Blind and Access, where they are not only helping us be more thoughtful about being an employer that has New Yorkers working who are people with disabilities, but also on the flip side, how can we make sure for other blind New Yorkers and other New Yorkers with disabilities, when they experience that center, there are things they are catching that we can then improve to make the experience better.

(01:48:36)

And for the internships, do you know if any of the interns have gone on to retaining a job at the Workforce One centers?

(01:48:52)

I am not aware of that number. They are all currently interns and it is a funded internship as I understand it. We have not necessarily been recruiting the interns.

(01:49:02)

We are recruiting the interns with funding from the state because we do not really have City funding resources available for the operations of our centers. Most of our centers are almost completely reliant on federal dollars and this partnership, where we were able to expand the work beyond the three person team, was the result of some state funding available at the State Commission for the Blind and at Access. We do actually know that at least one of these interns will likely be hired at one of our Workforce One centers.

(01:49:34)

So three staff members — do you think that that staffing level is adequate and has that changed from the past? I think the number has hovered around three and four. We could always do more but with the resources that we have had, we have been very strategic with deploying them in ways that did not just keep them in the central office but leverage them to improve accessibility across the 17 centers. Office hours are a great way where we have two of these staff members doing multiple office hours at multiple centers instead of being fully located and deployed at one particular center. Understood. And then are there other kinds of internship opportunities that you all are making accessible to folks with disabilities? I think this program is really wonderful to hear about. I did not know about that.

(01:50:35)

So I can speak to that. We have the Partnership for Inclusive Internship that works with connecting people with disabilities to paid internships primarily in the public sector. Like I mentioned earlier, we fund the staff and the operational costs through a great nonprofit partner. HRC runs the program. The funding for the wages are paid through the state agencies and since 2024 over 109 individuals with disabilities have been connected to internships and 54 of those individuals have transitioned to permanent employment after completing their internships.

(01:51:17)

And you said that it is primarily public sector internships. Does that mean...

(01:51:22)

That means working in City agencies? Primarily public sector internships, though 16 out of the 54 job placements have been with City agencies. The rest of them at other non-City...

(01:51:39)

Agencies. And do you know what the hourly wages are or were for those permanent placements?

(01:51:49)

For the permanent placements, it varies quite a bit because, as I mentioned, people with disabilities have a variety of different skill sets and experiences. So the jobs range from higher wage IT and cybersecurity jobs to data management, human resources, office and clerical work and project management. The salary ranges from the mid-40 thousands upward of over a hundred thousand plus dollars.

(01:52:25)

What happens to participants whose access is denied or whose access services are delayed?

(01:52:32)

Does the City have a contingency funding mechanism? To be eligible for this particular program, individuals do need to have that certification from the access organization that operates our program, but it also operates many other programs, so we are able to connect them to programming that they are served by or refer them to other types of programs that they may be eligible for.

(01:53:01)

What is the City's total contribution and what share of overall program funding does that City contribution represent?

(01:53:13)

For the programming, the wages — I do not have the exact figure. I am not sure. I will have to get back to you on what the exact costs on the wages are, though the wages are obviously a significant cost to make sure that all the interns are paid.

(01:53:33)

And is the City using the PIE program to build a pipeline for its own agencies or is it designed to place participants broadly?

(01:53:46)

We obviously want to make sure that we are building the pipeline of City talent and creating an inclusive place to work, with the City of New York being a model employer. So we always want to make sure that we are connecting City agencies to the job seekers. The internships are primarily with agencies, not necessarily every job opportunity, but that is also because people choose to accept jobs or pursue jobs in different sectors for a variety of reasons. Some people want to stay working for the City — I hope they do if I am working for the City — but people are also moving on to great opportunities outside of the City.

(01:54:26)

I would say one thing: even just hosting an intern, even if that intern for one reason or another does not end up permanently working there, is a really great experience for that agency just from a cultural change perspective — understanding and getting rid of a lot of the misconceptions and assumptions that City agencies have. So I would say even if those interns are not ultimately going to be hired or do not choose to work at that City agency, I think even just having an intern who has a disability is a way that can really change behaviors within that City agency. That intern might have noticed that the documents we are creating are not necessarily accessible, and so let us just change the font size or the font type. Things like that are a really good opportunity to make sure that there is some cultural change happening within the City agencies so we can continue to be an inclusive employer.

I will say City agencies have also hired our PIE interns and New York City Public Schools has hired a few interns. Last month, or two months ago, when we had our co-design announcement and our committee staff were there, which was exciting, that was a partnership with all of the agencies here. We had a representative from New York City Public Schools who went through the PIE program and was connected to a job opportunity. So we are very proud of that work and making sure that the City is being a model employer for all the employers across the City.

(01:56:03)

Could you also just walk me through, for my own understanding, how HRC is operating and working with folks with disabilities? What is the role from start to end that it is supporting in these internship placements?

(01:56:25)

So we fund it through HRC, which is the nonprofit that operates it. People can find out about it through a variety of sources. HRC is a big nonprofit that already has some connections. We do a lot of work advocating and sharing out information to City agencies and through our disability advisory council, which includes employers from the private sector

(01:56:50)

as well, to make sure that they are aware of this program and that it exists. An individual can be connected through a variety of ways. There is even an interest form on HRC's website and if someone is interested they can express that and fill out that form and then potentially be connected to PIE. Like I said, if for whatever reason there are other services that they might not be eligible for, HRC is a great organization that can help connect them to other programming as well.

(01:57:21)

And then they will work with the intern through a four to six month internship and then HRC works closely with them to try to help them secure employment as well.

(01:57:34)

Got it. And so what kinds of materials are City agencies receiving or what is the information that you all are sharing with them?

(01:57:49)

So we work with the City day in and day out and we always make sure to plug our PIE program. I will have to get back to you in terms of specific collateral that may be available.

(01:58:02)

Something that came up earlier: the jobs portal is a useful tool for both employers and job seekers in terms of being able to connect to the suite of services offered across the City and all of the City agencies. So job seekers with disabilities and the agencies — or rather employers — who are looking for talent can go to that site and be connected through a

(01:58:25)

variety of sources. So the Civil Service Law 55-A authorizes up to 700 designated positions. As of November 2025, 363 employees were participating across 30-plus agencies. How many employees are currently participating in the 55-A program across how many

(01:58:51)

agencies? Hi, I am Katie and I am the Assistant Commissioner for the Workforce Operations team. Currently we have 360 individuals participating across 36 agencies as of the end of... Got

(01:59:05)

it. And what is preventing the program from reaching its 700 position statutory ceiling?

(01:59:13)

I think one of the challenges is that the program really fluctuates over time. As we add new folks to the program, there are folks that are leaving the program. For example, we have new hires that are coming in — we had approximately 30 that were hired last year — but we have about 50 folks that are leaving the program either because of promotion, because they left the agency, they retired or they are serving in a different title. So it really fluctuates. We know that additional engagement is needed to really get to that number but we have to kind of double down on the goal that we want to get to the 700.

(01:59:51)

And are you all keeping track of who is getting promoted or how many folks have left the City? How are you keeping track of those various criteria?

(02:00:04)

Yes. So we work with the agencies and when somebody leaves the program we get the reason as to whether it was because of retirement, because they went into a different position or they took a civil service exam like that. So we do track

(02:00:20)

that. Are you able to share

(02:00:20)

that with us? I can share that with you. So for example, across the last two years we had about 98 people that left the program for various reasons but we can give you a greater breakdown after this.

(02:00:35)

That would be great. And then how are you all recruiting qualified candidates?

(02:00:42)

One of the things that works really well is the partnership that we have with MOPD and also with our partner agencies. The way the program is set up — and just to clarify, this is a program that allows individuals to be hired into government positions and competitive positions without the need to take a civil service exam — the hiring still happens at the agency level. Individuals still have to have a line and be approved. They do not have to go through the exam process. They get selected and then the agencies submit their application for us to process.

So what we do to supplement awareness of the program is through the partnership with MOPD. MOPD will do information sessions and we do that closely with their staff that are involved in the program, so the job seekers that are involved in the program are aware. We also do general outreach to populations whether at educational institutions or community based organizations to make sure that a lot of folks are aware. We have those targeted sessions and targeted outreach. The program sits within the Office of Citywide Recruitment and we do about 15 to 20 events per month and that information is embedded in what we share with job

(02:02:01)

seekers. What is the Office of Citywide Recruitment?

(02:02:05)

So our main job is to go out into the public and really speak about the jobs that are available within City government. We promote the civil service process, the process for taking those exams, the different types of positions available across agencies and what the application processes look like.

(02:02:22)

Is that also happening in collaboration with the Workforce1 centers? Yes, we

(02:02:27)

have a very robust relationship with the Workforce1 centers where we either go to the sites depending on the interest that we have. We will go either in person or will have virtual sessions. For the last few years we have been working on a schedule to make sure we are engaging folks

(02:02:45)

there. I want to recognize we have been joined by CM Rita Joseph. And how many City staff are dedicated to promoting the 55-A program and do you believe current staffing

(02:03:00)

is sufficient to drive broader agency participation? Currently we have staff that are managing the application process from beginning to end but because the program is embedded into the Office of Citywide Recruitment, which has about five staff in terms of promotion, that is spread across. Every time we go out — we have what we call citywide inclusive recruiters — every time they go out into the public they are sharing information about the program.

(02:03:29)

The citywide inclusive recruiters — how many? So we

(02:03:34)

have three citywide inclusive recruitment specialists. We have a supposed pathways fellow as well, a deputy director within the Office of Citywide Recruitment and the citywide inclusive specialists.

(02:03:47)

Could you share a little bit more about what they do in the field? Yes. So their main role

(02:03:52)

is to make sure that the public is aware of City jobs. We know a lot of the challenges that we have with hiring just across the board is that folks are not familiar with the civil service exams and when they think about City government they only think about specific titles. So we do civil service 101 information sessions where we are really just breaking it down: here is what City government looks like, here are the jobs that you can get into, here is what the civil service exam looks like, here is when the schedule comes out, here are the waivers, here is more information about the 55-A program. So we really give an overall view of what it means to work for the City. We also partner with our community partners and educational institutions, we attend career fairs, we do panel conversations and we do a lot of different activities to make sure that folks are aware of City government and the jobs that they can do there.

(02:04:50)

Is that mostly through invitations or do they also have just like outreach hours where they are in a neighborhood or a community? We do it all

(02:04:58)

across the five boroughs and virtually. For example, we have specific demographics we are trying to reach, including people with disabilities and veterans, those that are underrepresented in City government. So we do outreach to make sure that we are targeting those populations. We work with the shelters to make sure that we are engaging

(02:05:20)

those populations and then we also get invitations to participate in different events. I will now pass it to CM Joseph to ask your questions if she is

(02:05:32)

ready. Oh yeah, I am ready. Good afternoon. I have a couple of questions around transportation. I noticed mostly around elevator outages — it is out on subways — which remain a documented barrier to employment for New Yorkers with mobility disabilities. Does the City have a formal coordination? Do you work in partnership with the MTA to maybe do an assessment to see where they are in key locations as to where we can address barriers? For example, in my district I only had one elevator that was accessible for two years. We worked and finally got a second one. Are you looking around the City at the ecosystem of transportation? That is one of the biggest barriers, including for New York City students. We have heard that across the City, CUNY students and New York City Public School students who sometimes have no routes to get to their destination. So how are we working interagency to make sure that accessibility for transportation across the board is available for New Yorkers with

(02:06:35)

disabilities? I am the Commissioner of Disabilities and we have a regular meeting with the people involved and this is the first thing that we mention. Even for me, when I worked for the health department, there was one elevator out and then there was another elevator that was better and closer and then they finally fixed it and that was like a revelation — I could go in one direction, I could go in another direction. It was great. So we are working with them and it does prioritize this work and we are hoping they will continue to

(02:07:27)

prioritize this, especially in areas that really need it. I am going to keep pushing. Oh yeah, pushing as well. But is there a dollar amount attached to this work? For example, I had set a goal with New York City Public Schools when I was the Education Chair to make sure that buildings are accessible by 2034 with a billion dollar investment from New York City. What does that look like on your end? I do not know but I will find out for our work as well.

(02:08:00)

Thank you. I had a question about benefit

(02:08:04)

cliffs. The risk of losing SSI or Medicaid eligibility upon entering the workforce is one of the most frequently cited barriers to employment for people with disabilities. Which City programs specifically address the benefit cliff?

(02:08:21)

Hi, I am the director of programs for Work. I can speak on behalf of our program and the resources that we utilize. Within our staff we have someone who is a benefits counselor and she provides individual advisement to participants of our program. We also work closely with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. About seven years ago we partnered to pilot a financial counseling program that was tailored specifically for individuals with

(02:08:54)

disabilities and the result of that pilot led to a training that has been implemented for all of the financial counselors. We work in partnership with those counselors to ensure that individuals who participate in our program have access to that financial counseling as well. It is not as in depth as benefits counseling but it is a really great first step for most individuals who we work with.

(02:09:19)

And how do you do your outreach and engagement with communities with disabilities?

(02:09:25)

In general for the work program, we say yes to almost every invitation. We go to a lot of community events posted by schools and colleges. Just last week we were at

(02:09:38)

a Kennedy leads career fair and I was there. We would have a chance to meet people there. We host information sessions for a lot of our community partners and then we respond to individual inquiries as well.

(02:09:52)

And community members with disabilities for whom English is not their first language — how do you reach them?

(02:10:00)

I am sorry, one moment. So we utilized language access, and the reality is that there are different languages, and so that is an interesting next step for us to think about: how can language access expand that reach, and what are other forms of language access?

(02:10:32)

This is very important for our communities. The SNAP work requirement going into effect in 2026 — New Yorkers with disabilities can request exemptions, but they must document them. What is the administration doing to ensure that participants in disability employment programs who receive SNAP understand their exemption rights and do not lose food assistance? Are our City programs being used to help our community with disabilities? That is very important.

(02:11:00)

It is very important. So we are working — meaning all the agencies are working — and I am the lead on this. Every agency or office like ours has to think about our population. In our case, the disability community is complicated because a lot of them will be exempt, but some will not. So we are discussing that with the people involved: how can we ensure that those few people who do not get exempt are supported, and could we make it zero? That would be fantastic. We want to discuss that with them further.

(02:11:48)

Are you also working with young people who are in foster care and who have disabilities?

(02:11:53)

Yes, and we are also very engaged on this topic as well, and I am going to meet with her soon. So agencies just need to be...

(02:12:09)

...working together. And how are people with disabilities being trained to enter the workforce and live independent lives? I know that some of the programs also work within New York City public schools, creating independence, making them independent learners — travel and all of that, life skills are being taught. How is that partnership working to move forward into the workforce? Meaning for high school students — internships, apprenticeships. Sometimes our communities with disabilities do not get these opportunities: internships, apprenticeships.

(02:12:43)

How does that work? So I think we can share some examples of internships and programs that we have had, but personally it matters a lot. The transition from high school to further school or employment can be enhanced, because what is happening is like a cliff — people graduate from high school and then where do they go? That is one of the areas that MOpep wants to get more involved in, working with the schools and specifically the...

(02:13:24)

...special education population.

(02:13:25)

Yeah, definitely. There is always a gap there — there is a huge gap there with our students with disabilities. I hear all the time that the pathway to college, the pathway into employment, is not readily available to them because of their disabilities. So I think that is where the gap is, and I think talking with other agencies and figuring out a comprehensive plan — not a piecemeal approach but a comprehensive plan across the board for our communities who are living with disabilities — is essential. Thank you so much. Thank you.

(02:13:52)

Thank you, Chair. Okay, my final few questions. Going back to the 55-A program: which agencies are the largest participants in the 55-A program, and which large City agencies have little to no 55-A representation? I see that the 55-A program and the usage of it has higher numbers because of the vacancies and the amount of positions that they have.

(02:14:27)

They are hiring, but what we also know is that although individuals may not be serving in the 55-A program, there are...

(02:14:33)

...still being hired because they could be hired into a noncompetitive title or an unexamined or labor title. But given that you all are keeping a record of the positions that are coming through the 55-A program, are you keeping track of where they are spread across the City agencies? Yes. So for the individuals that are serving in the top agencies — and these are individuals who have more than 25 participants, as I mentioned...

(02:15:06)

...which are social services agencies like the Department of Social Services, we have NYPD, Department of Education, and Department of Finance. So the larger agencies — I am just trying to understand exactly which agencies are bringing in a higher rate through the 55-A program and which are not. Yes. So the agencies that I just listed are the top agencies with the higher numbers. There are also some of the larger agencies as well, and as it relates to how individuals are using it, there are individuals that we are working with to enhance their use of the program. Which agencies would you say that includes in terms of enhancement? So in terms of the noncompliance in different agencies that we have worked with, we try to spread it across the board. For example, DCAS — one of the things that we do within DCAS is we have agency-specific hiring events, and we have seen that across the years. Where we had maybe six or seven two or three years ago, now we are at fifteen or sixteen, so we are seeing those engagements and partnerships increase across the agencies and their usage of...

(02:16:28)

...the program. I would really be interested in knowing the specifics here, just to see how we are doing as a City in terms of hiring and retention, and understanding exactly why some agencies have been more active, or whether the specific roles are related to the kind of positions that folks with disabilities have been able to apply for. I think that is a very important data set. The July 2025 55-A Diversity Career Fair produced thirteen conditional job offers from fifteen participating agencies, with five agencies conducting on-the-spot interviews. Why did ten of the fifteen agencies participate without conducting interviews, and what follow-up occurred with those agencies after the fair?

(02:17:29)

So when we have our citywide events — and MOpep can add to that — not all agencies readily have OMB approval for their vacancies. Depending on the amount of positions that they are recruiting for, they choose to conduct on-the-spot interviews or not. For the ones that do not, we do follow up with them to see what the engagement is.

(02:17:54)

After the event, what does the OMB relationship look like?

(02:17:56)

So positions do not have to be OMB-approved, but there is still a financial approval that is needed for anyone that is hired into the 55-A program.

(02:18:03)

So you are saying agencies that have not gotten approval are conducting interviews but are not connecting...

(02:18:11)

...to interviews. They may not do interviews on the spot, but they are still doing interviews through their normal course of hiring. Got it.

(02:18:18)

Specifically an OMB-related...

(02:18:21)

...issue. Sometimes that is the reason, but it is not the only reason. Some agencies, depending on the dynamic and the positions that they are looking for and their interview process, decide to do their interviews internally, but they do participate to share information about their particular jobs and the different positions that are available. One of the things that we also do is try to do exact matching, so the candidates that are showing up have a direct match to a position. Some agencies may not have a lot of matches for their positions, but they are still able to engage with different job seekers based on other opportunities that they have. I will pass it over to Abbi.

(02:19:01)

Thank you. I will also add that in the course of our follow-up with job seekers and participating agencies, there were multiple agencies that did conduct additional interviews following the career fair event itself. The agencies ultimately decided to go with other candidates, but as I think we mentioned before, the process of going through those interviews and moving ahead in the hiring process is valuable for those individuals as well.

(02:19:26)

Absolutely. And so for this specific career fair, do you know what follow-up occurred with the agencies afterward?

(02:19:37)

So I can speak for our work. We follow up with the agencies afterward to get a sense of, generally speaking, whether or not candidates that they met with were prepared for the event, whether they were a match for the positions that they had available, whether they were interested in them for either their existing positions or other positions, and then individual follow-up to try to get some feedback on specific candidates who may be moving forward in the hiring process to help with that as well. And then I will pass to my colleague for anything additional.

(02:20:11)

Yes, and for the candidates that are hired, we work with them throughout the 55-A application process to make sure that they are able to get OMB approval for the positions, so we want to make sure that that process is seamless and well understood.

(02:20:28)

And could you just clarify MOpep's relationship again with the 55-A...

(02:20:33)

...program? Sure. So we work in partnership with DCAS to promote the program both with City agencies and to job seekers, support with the application and onboarding, and then navigating some of the additional hurdles that come with getting hired at the City. Well, that is all I have got for today. Thank you all...