Vision
Economic mobility for all young adults.
Mission
JobsFirst creates and advances solutions that break down barriers and transform the systems supporting young adults and their communities in the pursuit of economic opportunities.
“All of our programs are designed to connect young New Yorkers to meaningful opportunities. It is my job: our job, all of the adults in this room, to make sure that you feel prepared and supported for your next steps.”
Valerie Mulligan
Deputy Commissioner, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
“We had the model and the concept… but we needed someone in the middle… their role isn’t about inventing something new but legitimizing, aligning, and amplifying local efforts… we’re much better with them.”
JobsFirst Partner
When Systems Align, Everyone Moves Forward
JobsFirst equips cities and regions with a shared framework: proven tools, cross-site learning, and the infrastructure to turn local insight into lasting economic mobility.
By 2030:
50,000
Young Adults on Clearer Paths
Every young adult deserves a path that connects their talent to economic mobility. We design for that—across cities and regions.
750+
Organizations Moving as One
Schools, employers, and community organizations have more power when coordinated than when separate. JobsFirst builds the infrastructure that makes coordination the norm.
10
5 Intermediaries & 5 Funder Collaboratives
We are building five new workforce intermediaries and five new funder collaboratives per region: the paired architecture that determines whether gains hold.
What We’re Solving For
The barriers are well-documented. The systems to address them are not yet aligned. JobsFirst closes that gap.
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JobsFirst NYCRead More: Investing in the Green Workforce: What Comes Next for NYCInvesting in the Green Workforce: What Comes Next for NYC
JobsFirst NYC, Fordham University, and The Green Economy Network’s Strategic Briefing to Advance A Policy Roadmap That Connects Green Investments to Local Talent Aligning New York City’s infrastructure investments and decarbonization goals with a sustainable workforce…
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JobsFirst NYCRead More: Building and Financing the Green Workforce: A Roadmap for Mayor MamdaniBuilding and Financing the Green Workforce: A Roadmap for Mayor Mamdani
In 2022, the Green Economy Network (GEN) advanced a set of workforce recommendations to strengthen New York City’s approach to building an inclusive green economy. Several of these proposals directly informed the city’s Green Economy Action…
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JobsFirst NYCRead More: From Insight to Impact: Strengthening Systems for Young Adults in NYCFrom Insight to Impact: Strengthening Systems for Young Adults in NYC
This post is the final installment in a three-part series on the state of youth employment in New York City. Read Part 1 and Part 2 for additional context. In this installment, we outline five strategies…
Invest in the Infrastructure That Moves Cities and Regions Forward
JobsFirst provides communities with a proven way to build aligned systems: clear goals, shared tools, and measurable progress for young adults and their communities.
FAQ
JobsFirst’s vision is economic mobility for all young adults and their communities. We design the infrastructure that makes that possible: aligned systems, shared frameworks, and proven tools that turn local insight into lasting progress.
JobsFirst creates and advances solutions that break down barriers and transform the systems supporting young adults in the pursuit of economic opportunities. We work across cities and regions to make coordinated action the norm rather than the exception.
JobsFirst equips cities and regions with a shared framework, proven tools, and cross-site learning. To date, more than 50,000 young adults are on clearer paths and 750+ organizations are moving as one system toward economic mobility.
JobsFirst measures progress across four dimensions: individual outcomes for young adults, partner organizational capacity, systemwide improvements to practice and policy, and population-level changes in cities and regions.
JobsFirst provides communities with a proven way to build aligned systems: clear goals, shared tools, and measurable progress. Funders can co-invest through local funder collaboratives that pool capital around community-identified priorities and reduce individual investment risk.