New York City Public Schools and Partnership For NYC Launch Third Career Discovery Week

Today, New York City Public Schools and the Partnership for New York City are launching the city’s third Career Discovery Week.

A public-private initiative that brings high school students into some of New York City’s most vibrant and important workplaces for exciting hands-on career exploration.

From March 4 through 8, 2024, approximately 3,500 high school students from more than 100 public schools will experience immersive, firsthand exposure to a variety of professions through interactive day-long visits at some of the city’s top employers.

Throughout the week, more than 105 employers will host students for a full day of programming that will include executive-led career panels, workplace tours, interactive technology demonstrations, work-based group challenges, and more.

The organizations hosting students come from a broad cross-section of New York City’s diverse and dynamic industry base in the public and private sector, including financial services, transportation, technology, media, aviation, consumer goods, real estate, health care, government, and entertainment. 

Career Discovery Week activities include:

• JetBlue (Monday, March 4) – Students will visit JetBlue’s aircraft maintenance hangar where they will go on board an aircraft, meet with employees across JetBlue operations, visit an air traffic control tower, and tour the TWA Flight Center.
• Pfizer (Tuesday, March 5) – Students will take classes at the Pfizer School of Science, participate in a community activity for cancer patients, and meet colleagues from across the company during a career discovery conversation. 
• EmblemHealth (Wednesday, March 6 and Thursday, March 7) –Students will attend career exploration panels with senior leadership, participate in a design session focused on improving health care within New York City communities, and tour a community healthcare facility.
• McGraw Hill (Wednesday, March 6) – Students will learn about careers in education, including app development and curriculum design, and participate in an interactive workshop on resumes and job interviews.
• National Grid (Wednesday, March 6) –At the New York energy provider, students will learn about customers’ energy usage as well as how field operations support energy delivery, followed by job readiness workshops with employees across the organization.
• U.S. Coast Guard (Wednesday, March 6) –Students will get a behind-the-scenes look at how the U.S. Coast Guard monitors the safety and security of the city’s waterways, including a tour of the New York Command Center.
• New York City Transit (Thursday, March 7)–Students will tour the Zerega Bus Maintenance and Training facility, including riding in a new electric bus and trying out a bus operations simulator.

A full list of participating employers is available here.

High schools from all five boroughs are participating in Career Discovery Week which, this year, is embedded in New York City Public Schools FutureReadyNYC, a multiyear initiative focused on career-connected learning among four career pathways: business, education, health care, and technology.

Schools have been matched with companies based on alignment between curricula and company sector.

“Career Discovery Week is extremely popular with students, teachers, and the diverse employees at our member companies who work hard to provide a meaningful and welcoming experience for the students who spend the day with them,” said Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City.“For many young people, it is their first opportunity to learn about the variety of careers available to them in the city and to benefit from the insights and advice of employees who come from similar backgrounds.”

“New York City’s public schools enable our young people to discover their passion, turn our city into a classroom, and realize their dream job is within reach,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “With Career Discovery Week, thousands of high school students will be exposed to the jobs of tomorrow and begin their career exploration journey today. Thank you to the Partnership for New York City for their continued efforts and showing our young people that, in New York City, anything is still possible.”

“New York City Public Schools is committed to providing students with the resources necessary to make sure that each student graduates with a strong plan and a pathway to long-term economic security. Career Discovery Week is just one example of the myriad opportunities that we provide for our young people to give them early career exposure,” said Chancellor David C. Banks. “Our collaboration with Partnership for New York City exemplifies the limitless opportunities that our students can have when we forge strong public-private partnerships. It is always a joy to endeavor on this mission with Kathryn Wylde and her team.”

“For 175 years, Pfizer has been at the forefront of medical and pharmaceutical breakthroughs that have not only changed patient lives but have impacted the world,” said Partnership for New York City Co-Chair Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer. “We are proud to partner again on this important program and play our part in inspiring the next generation of scientists and researchers.”

“Career Discovery Week introduces New York City high school students to a broad range of careers, opening new doors of opportunity,” said Partnership for New York City Co-Chair Rob Speyer, CEO of Tishman Speyer. “We are proud to be a part of this program that supports students and builds a stronger future for the city of New York.”

“As New York’s Hometown Airline, we are honored to team up with the Partnership for New York City to showcase the incredible talents of our crewmembers and how to operate within the country’s busiest airspace,” said Joanna Geraghty, Chief Executive Officer of JetBlue. “We take tremendous pride in providing immersive experiences throughout the year that allow students across our network to explore career paths and take part in the unlimited possibilities within the aviation industry.”

“As a society, we have to find a better way to prepare our young people for jobs, whether through conventional schooling or apprenticeships and skills-based training,” said Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase and Executive Chair, New York Jobs CEO Council. “Businesses must be involved in this process, and programs need to be offered in New York City because that is where the actual jobs are. Partnerships like this between business and government are essential to drive change and, hopefully, address income inequality.”

“As a global education company with a long history of supporting New York City schools, we’re excited to host students at our office and help them explore career opportunities that can impact the future of learning,” said Simon Allen, CEO of McGraw Hill. “Career Discovery Week is such a fun and rewarding experience for us and a unique way that we can give back to students in a city that many of our employees call home.”

“The Port Authority is pleased to join JetBlue Airlines in hosting Career Discovery Week at JFK International Airport, where we are in the midst of the historic, $19 billion transformation of JFK into an airport worthy of the region,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “Preparing the next generation of our workforce for exciting careers in aviation plays a vital role in providing the world-class customer experience that is becoming the benchmark for Port Authority airports. We are thankful to the Partnership for New York City and to New York City Public Schools for organizing this program.”

Career Discovery Week

Career Discovery Week is a major collaborative effort by the city’s leading corporations and professional firms from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. It demonstrates the commitment of the business community and employee volunteers to help young people in New York City take the first step toward building a career path.

The Partnership for New York City

The Partnership for New York City represents the city’s business leaders and largest employers. We work with government, labor, and the nonprofit sector to promote economic growth and maintain the city’s prominence as a global center of economic opportunity, upward mobility, and innovation. The Partnership Fund for New York City contributes directly to projects that create jobs, improve economically distressed communities, and stimulate new business creation. Visit pfnyc.org to learn more.

New York City Public Schools

New York City Public Schools is the largest public school system in the United States, serving more than 900,000 students in over 1,800 schools. The department is responsible for the education of children from 3K through 12th grade and is overseen by the New York City Schools Chancellor, who is appointed by the Mayor of New York City. The New York City Public Schools mission is to ensure that each student graduates on a pathway to a rewarding career and long-term economic security, equipped to be a positive force for change. To achieve this goal, the department sets rigorous academic standards, provides resources and support to schools and teachers, and offers a wide range of programs and services to students and families. New York City Public Schools is dedicated to providing all students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life and building a brighter future for the city of New York.

Photo credit: HWM.