Staying competitive in today‘s labor market requires constant learning and skills upgrading. Unfortunately for many adults, this level of continuing training and education remains out of reach. The costs, program availability and time commitments can all pose barriers.
However, Queens offers an abundance of high quality, free training programs for adults seeking to gain new capabilities required in growing sectors of the economy.
This guide will provide insights into workforce skills gaps impacting adults today along with an overview of the diverse education opportunities accessible across the borough of Queens. It will also analyze key components that make skills training programs effective for adult career advancement.
The Growing Need for Continuing Education
Technological transformation and global competition have rapidly changed the nature of jobs over the past decades. As the World Economic Forum notes, 87% of employers are set to adjust their workforce strategies due to automation and augmented labor force capabilities by 2025. This will include implementing reskilling programs for existing employees.
Additionally, globalization has dramatically expanded talent pools, particularly in sectors relying on virtual collaboration tools. Local workers lacking certain competencies can quickly become disadvantaged.
These evolving workforce dynamics make continual learning imperative for global competitiveness and local prosperity. Burning Glass Technologies’ analysis of 11 million real-world job vacancy postings in the U.S. revealed significant gaps between employer needs and existing worker abilities across diverse occupations.
On average just 41% of advertised openings didn’t require any additional skills training beyond a high school education. The remaining 59% expected some level of specialized postsecondary training, from industry credentials and vocational certificates to two or four years of college or beyond.
Failing to address this supply-demand mismatch threatens to leave many adults frozen out of family-sustaining careers. It also hampers business productivity and growth when positions sit open.
Several astounding statistics underscore the vital need to expand adult education and non-degree skills training opportunities:
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63% of U.S. jobs now require some form of postsecondary education or training beyond high school according to Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce analysis.
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However, only 52% of the working age population (age 25-64) meet this threshold, creating an 11 million worker deficit in qualified talent.
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Real-time job market analytics from Emsi Burning Glass identify over 9.8 million openings requesting middle skills requiring more than high school but less than a bachelor’s degree. However only 53% of the labor pool has this preparation.
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Alarmingly, the U.S. ranks 35th globally for workforce digital skills proficiency, trailing economic peers like the U.K., Australia and Canada according to Rand Corporation comparative analysis.
Such glaring skills and education gaps have consequences. Over half of U.S. adults worry their current set of abilities limits opportunities for job advancement and 80% believe more training would help them transition into higher paying roles.
On an economic level, Accenture estimates that outdated worker capabilities results in a 6% GDP loss equating to over $1.2 trillion in unrealized revenue.
Snapshot of Queens County
Queens represents an incredibly diverse borough both culturally and economically. Over 2.3 million residents call the county home with 48% identifying as foreign born. It encompasses a wide mix of incomes from struggling households to affluent professionals.
On the jobs front, Queens continues positioning itself at the forefront of innovation while still maintaining strength in traditional sectors like construction and healthcare services:
Growing Industries in Order of Total Jobs Provided
- Healthcare and Social Assistance
- Retail Trade
- Accommodation and Food Services
- Transportation and Warehousing
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- Administrative and Support Services
- Wholesale Trade
- Construction
The borough houses over 81,000 business establishments with particular concentration of startups in the Jamaica and Long Island City neighborhoods. However entrepreneurs across Queens fuel small business vitality. Self-employed ventures now account for over 35% of all county businesses compared to just 19% nationwide showing the robust entrepreneurial activity.
In terms of current economic conditions, Queens weathered the COVID-19 recession better than other boroughs maintaining an unemployment rate below 6%. However individual hardship remains. Nearly 42% of residents are classified as low income based on 80% of the regional median income.
Educational attainment metrics also showcase room for progress:
- 18% of Queens residents possess less than a high school level of education
- Another 22% have only completed high school equivalency or vocational schooling
- Just 28% hold an associate or bachelor‘s degree
This data indicates nearly 60% of the borough‘s working age population lacks education past high school. As noted earlier, at least some college or technical training now represents the bar for entry into many living wage occupations.
So while Queens enjoys extensive cultural vibrancy and overall economic strength, clear gaps persist in talent development and individual career readiness. The good news is a multitude of free training programs exist to bridge these divides so all adults can participate and prosper in the local economy.
Overview of Training Program Types
Career and technical skills training aims to prepare adults for direct entry into growing fields and occupations. These vocational programs build valued capabilities through condensed courses often incorporating hands-on learning. They may or may not result in formal degrees or certificates.
Shorter term occupational training tends to focus on acquiring licensures or technical credentials like:
- Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Phlebotomy Technician
- IT Support Specialist
- Cybersecurity Analyst
- Autocad Technician
- Solar Panel Installer
- Barber Stylist
- Real Estate Sales Agent
More extensive options like healthcare certifications, construction trades or IT careers integrate deeper instruction over weeks or months of full-time immersion.
In addition to employment-related education, foundational skills training also proves critical for unlocking career and wage progression.
Programs focused on adult basic education help individuals:
- Improve math, reading and digital literacy
- Prepare for high school equivalency exams
- Complete secondary credentials like a GED or National External Diploma Program (NEDP)
- Advance English language abilities
These basic building blocks establish critically important foundations for accessing postsecondary technical coursework along with higher education.
Other common free training offerings that support workforce participation and advancement include:
Entrepreneurship Programs
Instruction on how to start, operate and expand small businesses through topics like accounting, financial management, marketing, regulatory compliance and business plan development.
Career Readiness and Job Search Skills
Programming covering resume writing, interview techniques, workplace communication, conflict resolution, time organization and other essential workplace competencies. May also include personalized job matching and placement assistance.
Financial Literacy
Education on financial goal setting, household budgeting, banking, credit management and consumer protection equips individuals with knowledge for economic self-sufficiency.
Digital Literacy
Classes teaching basic computer operation, productivity software, online safety and how to leverage technology in daily life. These technology capabilities become vital for accessing education, employment and social services.
Health and Wellness
Holistic instruction on nutrition, fitness, stress reduction and mental health represents another area of popular adult training. These classes empower healthier lifestyles and often attract older adult learners.
Arts and Culture
Programs nurturing new or existing interests in music, dance, creative writing, visual arts and heritage topics bring richness while fighting social isolation.
The breadth of free continuing education courses allows Queens adults from all walks of life to keep cultivating their capabilities aligning to individual passions and economic realities.
Deep Dive into Workforce Skills Gaps
Let‘s explore the problematic skills gaps creating barriers to rewarding careers for many Americans through a series of revealing statistics:
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63% of jobs expected to require some college or vocational training by 2025 according to Georgetown University research. However just 44% of current workers have digital skills enabling automation augmentation and economic mobility.
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90% of fastest growing occupations rely on mastery of STEM knowledge per U.S. Department of Labor projections. Yet only 50% of U.S. high school graduates demonstrate math proficiency and just 36% score college-ready in science.
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Soft skills like communication, analytical thinking, leadership and processing complexity represent another gap area. Burning Glass analysis finds up to eight times more job postings requesting these aptitudes than applicants currently possessing them.
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A SHRM survey of over 3,000 HR professionals identified written and oral communication represent the biggest competency shortcomings in recent graduates seeking to enter the workforce.
Such empirical data makes the far reaching talent gaps apparent. Employers face frustration trying to fill critical vacancies while vulnerable worker populations sit on the sidelines of prosperity.
A recent Federal Reserve examination of workforce dynamics found over 60% of currently unemployed individuals lack the qualifications to match open positions in their localjob market. This disadvantage falls heaviest on those without college degrees, rural residents, veterans, disabled persons, older workers and individuals struggling with past incarceration.
Narrowing skills gaps through continuing education offers solutions on both supply and demand fronts of the labor market. This generates win-win outcomes across the economic spectrum.
The Benefits of Investing in Skills Training
Expanding affordable and accessible workforce development programs for adults creates mutual value economically, socially and individually.
For Local Economies
- Alleviates talent shortages holding back business growth and innovation
- Fuels sector expansion as newly trained workers fill open positions
- Attracts new employers looking for skilled talent availability
For Employers
- Expands applicant pipelines
- Boosts productivity as workers gain sophistication
- Reduces turnover enhanced through internal mobility pathways
For Vulnerable Workers
- Connects untapped talent to quality jobs
- Provides career on-ramps to marginalized populations
- Cultivates support system to address barriers like transportation access and childcare
For Program Graduates
- Opens doors to higher earning potential and financial stability
- Generates feelings of purpose and self-efficacy
- Creates educational momentum to pursue further credentials
Investing in the skills and economic mobility of local workers simultaneously fuels business competitiveness, affluence, innovation and shared prosperity.
Best Practices for Effective Training Programs
The most successful adult education initiatives incorporate best practices aligning learner needs with sector demands.
Relevant and Future-Focused Curriculums
Training content should equip students with skills and competencies required in high potential regional industries while integrating exposure to emerging technological advancements certain to impact future work.
Equity and Inclusion
Programming should proactively increase access, representation and completion rates among women, minorities, immigrants, Veterans, formerly incarcerated adults and marginalized populations.
Learner-Centric Delivery
Programs must meet the unique needs of adult learners through accelerated and flexible scheduling, affordable costs and funding assistance, childcare solutions and alternative online modalities.
Post-Training Career Guidance
Ongoing job search preparation, resume updating, interview practice and career mentorship ensure students can activate newly obtained capabilities.
Regional Employer Partnerships
Engaging local employers in curriculum design, mock interviews and program advisory boards allows training alignment to current and future workforce needs.
Outcomes Tracking
Following graduates’ employment rates, salary progression and educational continuation provides accountability while informing continuous program improvements.
Embracing these best practices allows workforce training initiatives to nimbly upskill adult talent pools while creating economic mobility for those most disadvantaged.
Abundant Training Opportunities Across Queens
Residents across the diverse communities of Queens have access to an abundance of tuition-free continuing education programs.
Opportunities exist through public-private collaborations like the Queens Public Library’s network of Adult Learning Centers and job training providers like Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow. Non-profit organizations also offer options like single working mother programs from the YWCA of Queens and immigrant-focused offerings through Make the Road New York.
Publicly funded initiatives also expand skills-building access points. LaGuardia Community College and Borough of Manhattan Community College‘s Corporate & Continuing Education divisions leverage professors and campus facilities to open doors. Meanwhile CUNY Career Success provides appointment-based assistance to current and prospective students for charting education-to-employment journeys.
For Queens entrepreneurs ready to take the next step, the Queens Economic Development Corporation‘s Entrepreneur Space offers qualifying business owners free temporary office space and back-of-house business operations support. This allows the self-employed to remain laser focused on service delivery and revenue generation during the critical startup phase.
These examples represent only a fraction of the free and accessible adult training opportunities across Queens supporting career transitions, professional upskilling and credential building.
The Time is Now for Upskilling and Retraining
Rapid technological change coupled with growing global competition means career self-management through continual learning is now essential. From digital fluency to emotional intelligence, empirical data shows nearly all adults need supplementary skills sharpening to sustain employability and earnings.
Queens offers an ecosystem rich in tuition-free adult education programs spanning basic digital literacy to advanced vocational skills certifications. Higher level technical classes prepare workers for jobs in healthcare, tech and construction trades while foundational offerings build core competencies to unlock further opportunities.
These community-based learning options offer flexibility around work schedules along with wraparound supports like MetroCards and childcare. They also provide in-roads to begin upskilling for those feeling intimidated by more formal Higher education.
As this guide has revealed, expanding access and utilization of adult skills training fuels productivity, innovation and shared prosperity across the borough. The programs spotlighted throughout provide launching pads for individuals to gain capabilities leading to career advancement and economic stability.
I encourage all adults across Queens seeking to boost their earnings potential or chart a new professional direction to explore the realm of possibilities through these free education providers. Their classes offer launchpads to new beginnings.