The Heckscher Foundation for Children in New York City has announced $7.6 million in grants awarded through its workforce development program.

Launched earlier this year, the Heckscher Foundation Challenge awarded grants to 20 colleges, community-based organizations, and one high school that have partnered with employers to train, mentor, and provide full-time jobs to underprivileged youth in New York State. The program requires a full-time job commitment from employer partners, ensuring that job seekers have a clear path to meaningful careers. Recipients include Commonpoint Queens, which is partnering with SC Prime Energy LTD and Cosan Construction; Covenant House, which is partnering with Delta and Hard Rock International; and Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School, which is partnering with Penske and Donnelly Mechanical. The initiative is expected to create more than 1,100 full-time jobs for underserved young adults.

“Traditional models for philanthropic workforce development have remained stagnant for decades, failing to produce adequate full-time job opportunities for the communities that need them the most,” said Heckscher Foundation for Children CEO Peter Sloane. “With an ongoing labor shortage, our new initiative comes at a critical time and serves as a model for shifting the paradigm of workforce development programming. We applaud our grantees and employer partners who are giving these young people a chance at a lifelong career, and we hope the initiative inspires others to adopt our approach of creating alternative paths to full-time employment.”

For a complete list of recipients, visit the Heckscher Foundation for Children website.

(Photo credit: Getty Images/JulieanneBirch)