New AI Workforce Hub, Led by Pursuit, in Long Island City Will Train 40,000 New Yorkers by 2032 and Build Pathways Into AI-Enabled Careers

$3.06 Million Empire State Development Investment Supports $10 Million New Queens Training Hub

Complements Governor's FutureWorks Commission, Developing Recommendations To Address AI's Impact on the Workforce

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of the AI Jobs Institute (AIJI), a new Queens-based hub designed and powered by Pursuit, a tech workforce training and job placement organization, to connect New Yorkers too often left out of the tech economy to emerging AI careers. Empire State Development is supporting the development of Pursuit's new Long Island City training hub with $3.06 million, including $1.5 million through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development and $1.56 million through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative. The AI Jobs Institute is supported by a total public investment of $10 million and will provide New Yorkers with the training, resources and employer connections to pursue opportunities in the growing artificial intelligence sector.

"During a time when AI is transforming our workforce and causing uncertainty, New York is continuing to lead the nation with policies and training to ensure New Yorkers workers are protected and prepared for the future," Governor Hochul said. "The AI Jobs Institute will connect thousands of New Yorkers with cutting-edge courses and career pathways, giving them the opportunity to keep up with rapidly evolving technology. By investing in our people, we are building a workforce ready to compete for the good-paying jobs of tomorrow."

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Under Governor Hochul's leadership, New York is investing in AI innovation and the workforce needed to translate that innovation into lasting economic opportunity. Our investment in the AI Jobs Institute will help connect New Yorkers with practical training aligned with employers' needs, while helping businesses and entrepreneurs adopt new technologies. As AI transforms industries and the skills employers need, this new hub will help ensure New Yorkers are prepared to compete for the good-paying jobs of the future."

The Institute will be created and operated by Pursuit, the Long Island City-based workforce development nonprofit that has spent more than a decade moving New Yorkers from low-wage work into six-figure, high-growth tech careers. Pursuit pairs intensive training with long-term employer partnerships and sustained support for participants, a model that has produced some of the strongest earnings gains in the field. New York State has partnered with Pursuit as the statewide lead on AI Prep for Jobs, a new workforce development initiative launched by Governor Hochul that will train 420 low-income New Yorkers across the state and create pathways to jobs.

Read the full press release here.