LEAP INC

BWI’s mission is to empower low-income New Yorkers by creating living-wage employment opportunities and access to upwardly mobile career paths. Our programs counter prevailing market inequalities, especially those based on race or gender, and contribute to a broader movement for economic justice.

Since 2000, BWI has remained laser focused on connecting individuals with high-quality jobs at excellent starting wages, often meaning trainees have new access to health benefits and new ways to support their families. The vast majority of BWI trainees are from geographic and demographic communities that experience poverty, unemployment and barriers to employment at disproportionately high rates. These barriers include low educational attainment, limited work experience, few marketable skills, long gaps in employment, limited English, exposure to the criminal justice system or being foreign-born. Our target populations include adults and young adults, ages 18 and up, who have experienced generational poverty and long term unemployment.
BWI has eight sector-focused training programs which provide access to careers through skills training, employer-recognized credentials, job placement, and career development support. BWI’s programs are high-quality, no cost, and the skills training we provide are employer-informed and participant-centered. Each program addresses employer demand in a targeted area of the local economy and serves New Yorkers who have a range of barriers keeping them from accessing stable, upwardly mobile careers. All programs are highly responsive and market oriented, and each was added during a time in BWI’s history when clear demand for jobs coincided with unmet employer demand.

BWI has over 20 years of experience delivering effective skills training and we continue to be leaders in NYC’s workforce development community. Our programs train around 900 individuals annually across all five NYC boroughs and have collectively made it possible for more than 11,000 New Yorkers to build careers.

As a result, BWI has been chosen to lead several citywide initiatives, including the NYCHA Resident Training Academy and employer customized training at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Industry City in Sunset Park. BWI is also an active member and leader in the New York City Employment and Training Coalition, a membership organization that works to advance workforce development as a field and as a well-recognized solution to unemployment and poverty.

Every year, BWI helps hundreds of low-income New Yorkers start new careers, placing them on a path to economic stability and mobility. In 2021, BWI enrolled 743 participants into job skills training and reached a graduation rate of 95%. BWI placed 79% of graduates into career opportunities with average starting wages of $18.03 per hour. On average our students see a 259% increase in wages, from pre-training to post-training. BWI provides up to two years of support for program graduates, helping them to stay engaged in the workforce and grow in their careers. As a result, 73% of place graduates retain employment for at least one year.

BWI will continue to meet the evolving needs of NYC’s low-income jobseekers as well as employers. Looking ahead, we plan to grow our enrollment, expand our programming and continue to align with industry demands and employer hiring needs.