About CWE

The Consortium for Worker Education (CWE) is a private, non-profit agency that provides a wide array of employment, training, and education services to over 75,000 New York City workers annually, including union members, New Americans and dislocated workers.

The CWE is the workforce development arm of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO whose affiliated unions represent over 1.2 million New York City and area workers. The CWE was created to provide all new Yorkers with access to career preparation and skills-specific training programs to support and enhance their career growth.

The Jobs to Build On program (JtBO) is a jobs creation initiative funded by the New York City Council and sponsored by the Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus. The JtBO expands the efforts of a network of established community based employment service providers citywide. Workforce readiness, industry specific skills courses and job placement services are available at no cost. Applicants are placed in career track, sustainable employment in a variety of growth industries at higher than "living wage". For more information or to obtain services, please go to www.jobstobuildon.org.

To prepare for workforce training and job placement services offered by the JtBO initiative, the CWE's Worker Service Center Program offers New Yorkers workforce preparation services and other progressive programs in neighborhood-based locations throughout the five boroughs. The programs are funded by the New York City Council, the New York State Department of Education and the New York State Legislature.

From 2001 to 2004, CWE managed a special $32 million federally funded Emergency Employment Clearinghouse (EEC) program, providing laid-off 9-11 workers and struggling small businesses with employment services and worker wage subsidies. As a result of the program, approximately 7,000 New Yorkers were placed in new employment; another 3,000 jobs were stabilized with wage subsidy support to more than 300 businesses; and more than 8,000 men and women were provided with career training and educational assistance.

The CWE was established in 1985 and is headquartered at 275 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan.

The CWE can be reached by calling 212.647.1900.