Time to Close the Digital Skills Divide
Op-ed for Empire Report by Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group
READ THE ARTICLE
The Fedcap Group’s Civic Hall and RAL Development Services Finalize Agreement to House CIVIC HALL @ UNION SQUARE in New Zero Irving
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THE FUTURE CIVIC HALL @ UNION SQUARE

Civic Hall @ Union Square will be housed in Zero Irving at 124 East 14th Street. Civic Hall will open in 2023 and will span 85,000 square feet on six floors and include a collaborative community space, state-of-the-art conference and events center, and a 42,000 square foot Digital Learning Center (DLC). The DLC will include 16 classrooms to be shared among NYC’s leading technology training and job training organizations. Collectively, these organizations will help improve access to in-demand tech jobs for all New Yorkers by creating a universal entry point for tech skills training, an incubator for successful training models, and a center of excellence for the industry to build and share best practices.

The DLC space is intended to serve as a collaborative space where technology training providers prepare New Yorkers for jobs in the technology sector. This will be accomplished by providing centralized resources and connections across technology job trainers and employers, to create opportunities that develop a more competitive and inclusive workforce.

Today, Civic Hall is engaging in an extensive planning process: engaging the tech training ecosystem and piloting programs ahead of the building’s opening.

Read the October 3, 2022 press release.

The idea is to create a fully integrated new community center at the crossroads of New York City’s technology district that will allow all New Yorkers regardless of background to develop digital skills and thrive in the 21st century economy of New York and beyond."

Andrew Rasiej, Civic Hall Founder & CEO
Rendering of a digital skills classroom at Civic Hall @ Union Square
Rendering of the lobby of Civic Hall @ Union Square

NYC’S TECH OPPORTUNITY GAP
STRENGTHENING PATHWAYS & COLLABORATION IN HIGH-TECH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
REPORT RELEASED: NOVEMBER, 2019

This report was commissioned to better understand the nature and trajectory of jobs that require high-tech skills, and how the NYC workforce ecosystem can better prepare New Yorkers to realize the economic opportunity provided by high-tech jobs.

This report’s findings will be used to help inform the planning of Civic Hall @ Union Square. This report was commissioned by Civic Hall, funded by the Cognizant U.S. Foundation, and prepared by HR&A Advisors.
For the full report, please click here.
For the executive summary, please click here.
For a report two-pager, please click here.

background

In 2017, Civic Hall participated in a public bid process offered by the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to develop a 250,000 square foot center for technology at Union Square. Civic Hall won the bid process by proposing a center that includes an 80,000 square foot community facility to be called Civic Hall @ Union Square.

In August 2018, the project received final unanimous approval by the full NYC City Council which followed previous unanimous approval votes by the City Council’s Land Use Committee, the City Planning Commission, and the Community Board of District 3. Civic Hall is now engaged in an extensive planning process engaging with local and citywide community organizations working to provide skills training and job opportunities to New Yorkers in need. Civic Hall is also embarking on a two-year capital campaign culminating with the opening of the facility in mid 2021.

WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT

When announced, Mayor Bill de Blasio heralded Civic Hall @ Union Square as a critical component of New York City Works, the City’s initiative to spur 100,000 jobs with good wages over the next decade. Watch the full announcement of Civic Hall @ Union Square here

sponsors

see all sponsors,partners, and organizational members

CIVIC HALL

118 W22ND STREET,
12FL NEW YORK,
NY 10011
HOURS: MON TO FRI, 8:30 A.M. TO 7 P.M.
community@civichall.org
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