Governor Hochul Announces Launch of AI Jobs Institute to Prepare New Yorkers for Jobs of the Future

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of the AI Jobs Institute (AIJI), a new Queens-based hub designed and powered byPursuit, 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.

Pursuit CEO Nick Simmons said, "New York has an opportunity to set the national standard for how AI creates opportunity. The AI Jobs Institute will bring together public leadership, industry expertise, and trusted community-rooted training so that New Yorkers can build the skills and careers this new economy demands."

Employers across New York are hiring for skills that barely existed three years ago, and the regions that build training and hiring infrastructure first are positioned to capture that work. The AI Jobs Institute is designed to move at that speed, preparing New Yorkers for roles as they emerge rather than years after the fact. Governor Hochul's FutureWorks Commission will also issue recommendations on training and pathways to new jobs across the state later this year.

New York City Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and William D. Rahm said, "New York City's greatest competitive advantage is its people, and the AI Jobs Institute will help ensure New Yorkers have the skills and opportunities to succeed as technology continues to reshape our economy. This investment in Long Island City will connect residents with pathways to good-paying careers, support businesses adapting to new technologies and strengthen Queens' growing innovation economy. We are proud to support a project that brings together workforce development, industry and community partners to create opportunity for New Yorkers."

The AI Jobs Institute will train up to 40,000 New Yorkers by 2032, build employment pathways, and produce research to guide workforce policy nationwide. The initiative is supported by New York State, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, and other partners across New York City government, alongside a coalition of philanthropic, industry and civic partners, including Ascendium Education Group, Wells Fargo, Google.org, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mizuho, Siegel Family Endowment, Con Edison, Spectrum, MetLife Foundation, Adobe, the New York Jobs CEO Council and the Partnership Fund for New York City.

The AI Jobs Institute will work across four core areas:

• Workforce Training: Upskilling New Yorkers through AI-enabled career pathways and immersive AI-Native programming.
• Innovation: Incubating pilots and tools, including partnership models with small businesses and non-profits, to scale impact.
• Policy & Research Leadership: Producing real-world data and recommendations for state and federal AI workforce strategies.
• Ecosystem Convening: Creating the conditions to convene employers, talent and industry partners under one roof.

The AI Jobs Institute will also house the New York Global Tech and Innovation Center (GTIC), an initiative of the Queens Borough President's Office. Drawing on Queens' standing as one of the most globally diverse communities in the country, GTIC will connect underrepresented entrepreneurs to the capital, corporate partnerships and global networks needed to build and scale high-growth companies. The Center aims to help launch more than a dozen high-growth startups over the next five years, cementing Queens' role as a gateway between local talent and the global innovation economy.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said, "As AI radically changes our economy in real-time, New York cannot afford to be caught flat-footed. We must harness the energy around the AI sector and ensure that we're leveraging the countless employment opportunities that this new industry is creating as we speak. This is how we connect Queens residents to good-paying jobs and ensure that society channels the power of AI for positive use. Queens looks forward to hosting the AI Jobs Institute and building our Global Tech and Innovation Center in partnership with our colleagues at Empire State Development and Pursuit, elevating underserved small business owners and giving local start-ups the tools they need to grow."

The AI Jobs Institute will be supported by a National Advisory Council that brings together leaders across government, education, technology, finance and workforce development to guide strategy and ensure AI's gains benefit every American. Founding members include:

• Dr. Miguel Cardona, Former U.S. Secretary of Education (Chair)
• Byron Auguste, CEO & Co-founder, Opportunity@Work
• Kiersten Barnet, Executive Director, New York Jobs CEO Council
• Leah Belsky, Head of Education, OpenAI
• Rich Buery, Jr., CEO, Robin Hood
• Maggie Cacioppo, Regional Giving Lead, Google.org
• Marco Carrión, President, Consortium for Worker Education
• Ryan Craig, Managing Director, Achieve Partners
• Eleanor Dorfman, Head of Industries, Commercial Sales, and Private Equity, Anthropic
• Maria Flynn, CEO & President, Jobs for the Future (JFF)
• Adam Goldfarb, Executive Director, Opportunity AI
• Osi Imeokparia, CEO, Kode with Klossy
• James Katz, Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Workforce, New York State Executive Chamber
• MC Lader, Founder and CEO, Native Markets
• Chris Lyons, President, a16z Halo, Andreessen Horowitz
• Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor, City University of New York
• Julie Samuels, CEO, Tech:NYC
• Jon Schnur, CEO, America Achieves
• Matt Sigelman, President, The Burning Glass Institute

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona said, "AI will reshape the future of work. The question is whether we build systems that expand opportunity. The AI Jobs Institute represents a bold public-private commitment to ensuring AI strengthens economic mobility nationwide."

Google.org Regional Giving Lead Maggie Cacioppo said, "Google.org is proud to support the AI Jobs Institute as part of our broader commitment to making sure AI's benefits reach everyone - not just those already working in tech. This is exactly how AI literacy turns into real economic mobility."

Assemblymember Steve Otis said, "New York has become a magnet for technology growth. Governor Hochul's focus on technology has brought the successful Empire AI Consortium, made NYS a leader in attracting AI startups, and has allowed NYS to pass key AI governance statutes. The AI Jobs Institute is the latest example of New York's leadership. Our growth in technology businesses brings countless opportunities for new jobs. The AI Jobs Institute will make those opportunities available through job retraining, providing the latest skills, and making new technology careers possible to a wider range of New Yorkers. Congratulations to Governor Hochul, Empire State Development and Pursuit on this exciting new program."

Construction on the AI Jobs Institute will begin this winter, with full occupancy expected in mid-2027. For more information, visitaiji.pursuit.org.

Additionally, Governor Hochul's approach to addressing AI workforce impacts also includes her nation-leading FutureWorks Commission, which will help New York develop comprehensive new policies in the coming year regarding job training and placement, improving job quality, strengthening the social safety net and supporting small businesses. The FutureWorks Commission will deliver its policy proposals by the end of December in order to shape new State policies for the coming year.

About Empire State Development

Empire State Development is New York's chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state's 10 regions, ESD oversees theRegional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state's world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visitesd.ny.gov, and connect with ESD onLinkedIn,Facebook andX.

About Pursuit

Pursuit is a New York City-based nonprofit that creates pathways to economic mobility by training adults with the greatest need and potential for AI-enabled careers. Since 2012, Pursuit has invested in individuals from low-income communities - 70% Black or Latine, 50% receiving public assistance, 60% without four-year degrees, and 40% immigrants - to prepare them for the jobs of the future. To date, Pursuit has generated more than $1 billion in lifetime wage gains for program participants by partnering with employers, community organizations, and public leaders to deliver AI-native training that leads directly to real jobs and sustained wage growth.