New York City Mayor Eric Adams has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative designed to open the doors of city government to the next generation. The newly announced City Civil Service Youth Apprenticeship Program aims to recruit and train up to 500 young New Yorkers over the next six years, providing them with practical experience, professional mentorship, and access to stable public sector jobs.
Under the program, participants will work within various city agencies, learning essential administrative, technical, and operational skills while earning salaries and receiving benefits. The initiative is part of a broader effort to address youth unemployment and high job turnover by building a long-term talent pipeline into municipal service.
“This is about creating opportunity, stability, and pride in public work,” Adams said during the announcement. “Too many of our young people see government as distant. This program will bring them inside the system — to learn, to grow, and to lead.”
The initiative is being hailed as the first of its kind in the United States, combining formal apprenticeship structures with civil service pathways. City officials expect it will strengthen workforce diversity and ensure smoother generational transition within agencies facing an aging employee base.
Experts in labor and education welcomed the move, calling it a model for other cities. “It’s a win-win,” said Dr. Lila Fernandez, a workforce development specialist at CUNY. “Young people gain experience and income, while the city builds institutional knowledge and civic commitment.”
As applications open next spring, the Adams administration hopes this program will become a national benchmark — one that not only reduces youth unemployment but also inspires a renewed sense of public purpose among New York’s next generation.
