NYCEDC Kips Bay Science District Workforce Taskforce & Vision
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
HR&A developed the Kips Bay Science District Education and Workforce Vision Report for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), that articulated the vision of the Kips Bay District as the center of New York City’s health and life sciences ecosystems. Leveraging NYCEDC’s first-of-its-kind life sciences innovation, career, and education hub, the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC), would develop the next generation of talent to support this ecosystem and anchor this District.
Our Team managed a nearly 50-person Taskforce to identify high-opportunity career pathways and propose opportunities to expand or build new programs to support access and advancement for non-degree holders and historically underrepresented population. The Taskforce, formed to guide the engagement and develop a clear vision for the District ahead of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process, included partners from a wide range of educational, workforce, and industry backgrounds including NYU Langone Health, Deerfield Management, The City University of New York, NYC Health + Hospitals, and New York City Public Schools.
We conducted a comprehensive labor market analysis across healthcare, life sciences, and public health sectors, identifying high-opportunity occupations and projecting future job demand, collaborating throughout the process with the Taskforce to ground our findings This data-driven approach allowed us to pinpoint specific barriers to entry and advancement for underrepresented groups and non-degree holders, developing recommendations for interventions that could meaningfully expand access to quality jobs in these growing sectors.
The Report’s recommendations sought to advance the District’s workforce ecosystem by leveraging the physical space and collaboration through scaling and funding exposure-based learning opportunities for talent, strengthening career pathways and developing sector-specific programs for talent into priority occupations identified, and creating an independent organization to drive training and engagement as part of the District. Released in January 2025, the report was a culmination of nearly a year of work, providing an overview of NYCEDC’s findings and outlining the Taskforce vision, providing a roadmap to ensure equitable access for New Yorkers to the city’s health and life sciences education and job opportunities.
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