Leap Inc

LEAP EMPOWERS LOW AND MODERATE INCOME PEOPLE BY HELPING THEM GAIN ACCESS TO LIVING-WAGE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND CAREER PATHS. WE SEEK TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS THAT COUNTER PREVAILING MARKET INEQUALITIES AND TO A BROADER MOVEMENT FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE.

RED HOOK ON THE ROAD:RED HOOK ON THE ROAD IS BWI'S COMMERCIAL DRIVING TRAINING PROGRAM. THIS FOUR-WEEK PROGRAM PREPARES PARTICIPANTS FOR JOBS AS DRIVERS OF "CLASS B/BPS" COMMERCIAL VEHICLES INCLUDING TRUCKS, SCHOOL BUSES, COACH OR CHARTER BUSES, AIRPORT SHUTTLE BUSES AND ACCESS-A-RIDE AND OTHER PARA-TRANSIT VEHICLES. THE COURSE CONSISTS OF INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC SKILLS, SUCH AS MAP-READING AND BEHIND THE WHEEL INSTRUCTION, AS WELL AS JOB READINESS AND SOFT SKILLS, SUCH AS MOCK INTERVIEWS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS TRAINING. IN FY21, BWI ENROLLED 174 INDIVIDUALS INTO TRAINING, GRADUATING 95%. SO FAR, 86% OF GRADUATES HAVE OBTAINED CDL CERTIFICATION AND 78% OF THOSE LICENSED HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO EMPLOYMENT. STARTING WAGES FOR WORKING GRADUATES ARE $21.08/HOUR, ON AVERAGE.

BWI'S NYCHA RESIDENT TRAINING ACADEMY:BWI'S NYCHA RESIDENT TRAINING ACADEMY PREPARES PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS FOR CAREERS WITH THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY (NYCHA). TRAINEES PARTICIPATE IN UP TO SIX WEEKS OF TRAINING FOR VARIOUS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ON NYCHA DEVELOPMENTS THROUGHOUT THE FIVE BOROUGHS, INCLUDING CARETAKER AND CONSTRUCTION RELATED ROLES. POSITIONS WITH NYCHA OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT AND EXCELLENT BENEFITS. IN FY21, THIS PROGRAM ENROLLED 317 INDIVIDUALS, GRADUATING 98% OF THOSE ENROLLED. THUS FAR, 83% OF GRADUATES HAVE BEEN PLACED INTO JOBS, EARNING $15.78 ON AVERAGE.

BROOKLYN WOODS: BROOKLYN WOODS TRAINS NEW YORKERS FOR CAREERS IN WOODWORKING AND FABRICATION. THROUGH SEVEN WEEKS OF CLASSROOM AND HANDS-ON TRAINING, GRADUATES LEARN SHOP PRODUCTION, WOOD TECHNOLOGY, FINISHING TECHNIQUES, CABINET INSTALLATION, MECHANICAL DRAWING, AND THE SAFE USE AND PROPER CARE OF HAND AND POWER TOOLS IN BWI'S CUSTOM-BUILT WOODWORKING SHOP. GRADUATES ARE PLACED IN JOBS AT LARGE AND SMALL WOODWORKING SHOPS, CONSTRUCTION AND HOME RENOVATION COMPANIES, HOME IMPROVEMENT STORES AND REAL ESTATE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FIRMS. BROOKLYN WOODS ALSO OPERATES A CABINET-BUILDING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE WHICH OFFERS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO RECENT GRADUATES. IN FY21, BROOKLYN WOODS ENROLLED 57 PARTICIPANTS, GRADUATING 82%. THUS FAR, 79% OF GRADUATES HAVE BEEN PLACED IN JOBS IN THE SECTOR EARNING $17.14 ON AVERAGE.

"MADE IN NY" PRODUCTION ASSISTANT TRAINING PROGRAM:THE "MADE IN NY" PRODUCTION ASSISTANT (PA) TRAINING PROGRAM CONNECTS UNDERREPRESENTED NEW YORKERS WITH CAREERS IN TV AND FILM PRODUCTION THROUGH HANDS-ON TRAINING. THE INTENSIVE FIVE-WEEK PROGRAM IS OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NYC MAYOR'S OFFICE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT. PARTICIPANTS LEARN SET AND OFFICE PRODUCTION ASSISTANT SKILLS AND ARE PLACED IN JOBS ON FEATURE FILMS, EPISODIC AND REALITY TV, COMMERCIALS, MUSIC VIDEOS AND OTHER PRODUCTIONS. ANNUALLY, POSITIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE "MADE IN NY" PA PROGRAM ARE PLENTIFUL, AND WAGES ARE STRONG AND RISING. IN FY21, THIS PROGRAM ENROLLED 76 INDIVIDUALS, GRADUATING 95%. THUS FAR, 97% OF GRADUATES HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO EMPLOYMENT AND ARE EARNING AN AVERAGE OF $21.70/HOUR."MADE IN NY" POST PRODUCTION TRAINING PROGRAM:THE "MADE IN NY" POST PRODUCTION PROGRAM OFFERS FIVE WEEKS OF TRAINING ON INDUSTRY STANDARD POST PRODUCTION SOFTWARE AND CERTIFICATION BY THE NEW YORK CITY MAYOR'S OFFICE OF FILM, THEATRE AND BROADCASTING. THE PROGRAM PREPARES GRADUATES EACH YEAR FOR ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS AT POST PRODUCTION COMPANIES. ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS OFTEN LEAD TO EXPOSURE TO MORE TECHNICAL FACETS OF POST PRODUCTION AND CAN HELP ESTABLISH A PATHWAY TO A MORE SPECIALIZED ROLE IN THE FIELD. IN FY21, THIS PROGRAM ENROLLED 13 INDIVIDUALS, GRADUATING 100% AND THUS FAR PLACING 69% OF GRADUATES IN JOBS EARING $17.14/HOUR.NEW YORK DRIVES ("NYD"):IN 2021 BWI MADE THE DECISION TO SUNSET OUR NEW YORK DRIVES TRAINING PROGRAM THAT PROVIDED JOBSEEKERS WITH THE SKILLS AND OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE THEIR NEW YORK STATE DRIVER'S LICENSE. THIS DECISION WAS INFORMED BY PERSISTENT CHALLENGES AROUND ENROLLMENT AND RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES AND FEWER OVERALL TRANSITIONS TO THE "MADE IN NY" PA PROGRAM. NEW BARRIERS SUCH AS THE EXTENDED CLOSURE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES' SIGNIFICANTLY NARROWED ACCESS TO PERMITS AND ROAD TESTS. DESPITE EFFORTS OF PROGRAM STAFF TO CONNECT WITH TRAINEES AND ALUMNI DURING THE DAYS AND WEEKS FOLLOWING THE CRISIS, COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS EXACERBATED SUCH CHALLENGES FOR NEW YORK DRIVES. BWI REMAINS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THOSE FOR WHOM A DRIVER'S LICENSE IS A HURDLE TO PARTICIPATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. IN FY21, NEW YORK DRIVES ENROLLED 6 INDIVIDUALS INTO TRAINING AND GRADUATED 100%. THUS FAR, 83% OF GRADUATES HAVE CONNECTED TO EMPLOYMENT, EARNING AN AVERAGE OF $21.40/HOUR. BROOKLYN NETWORKS:BROOKLYN NETWORKS IS BWI'S TELE-DATA INSTALLATION PROGRAM. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, BWI PREPARES NEW YORKERS FOR IN-DEMAND CAREERS INSTALLING AND MAINTAINING COMPUTER, VOICE, DATA, VIDEO AND SECURITY SYSTEM CABLING. THIS SIX-WEEK, FULL-TIME TRAINING PROGRAM IS LED BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS AND SERVED 64 INDIVIDUALS IN FY21, GRADUATING 88% OF ENROLLEES. GRADUATES OBTAIN THEIR INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED BUILDING INDUSTRY CONSULTING SERVICE INTERNATIONAL ("BICSI") CERTIFICATION AND QUICKLY BEGIN WORK IN THE FIELD. LAST YEAR, BWI PLACED 78% OF GRADUATES INTO JOBS EARNING AN AVERAGE OF $17.88/HOUR. BROOKLYN WORKFORCE COLLABORATION:THE BROOKLYN WORKFORCE COLLABORATION IS BWI'S EMPLOYER-CUSTOMIZED TRAINING PROGRAM THAT OFFERS TRAINING TAILORED TO SPECIFIC HIRING DEMANDS, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON BUSINESSES THAT ARE GROWING ALONG BROOKLYN'S INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONT. TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE DEVELOPED BASED ON SPECIFIC EMPLOYER DEMAND. BWI HAS PILOTED SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON MODULAR CONSTRUCTION, SECURITY, FOOD MANUFACTURING, AND MORE RECENTLY TECH SECTORS ROLES. IN FY21, THE PROGRAM SERVED 41 INDIVIDUALS AND GRADUATED 93% OF THOSE ENROLLED. THUS FAR, 95% OF GRADUATES HAVE BEEN PLACED IN JOB EARNING AN AVERAGE OF $19.85 ON AVERAGE.