Established in 1961, the City University of New York (CUNY) is the largest urban public university system in the U.S.  It comprises 26 campuses, including 11 senior colleges, 7 community colleges, and several graduate and professional schools.  CUNY's mission is to provide high-quality, accessible education, and provide workforce development, career-connected learning, and skills training for New Yorkers. As an open-access system, CUNY serves over 400,000 learners annually, ranging from traditional students seeking degrees to adult learners seeking short-term credentials.

CUNY places a strong emphasis on experiential learning, employer partnerships, and non-credit training to ensure that graduates are job-ready. Examples include:

• The CUNY Industry Support Hub is a single point of contact for employers seeking to connect with CUNY's talent pool across all campuses for internships, apprenticeships, and job placement.
• CUNY community colleges house extensive continuing and professional studies divisions that offer high-quality, short-term, non-degree credential programs in high-demand fields such as Healthcare, Information Technology (IT), Data Analytics, and Advanced Manufacturing. These non-credit courses often lead to industry-recognized certifications (e.g., CompTIA, AWS certifications) that are valued by employers and can be articulated for college credit through the CUNY School of Professional Studies. Initiatives like the CUNY Upskilling Initiative and the CUNY Apprenticeship Program (in partnership with New York State's Workforce Development Initiative).
• The Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) is a nationally recognized program to help community college students graduate on time by providing comprehensive support, including tuition assistance, tutoring, career coaching, and structured course schedules.

Resources

CUNY. (n.d.). Homepage. https://www.cuny.edu/

CUNY. (n.d.). About. https://www.cuny.edu/about/

CUNY. (n.d.). 1 University | 26 Colleges. https://www.cuny.edu/about/colleges/

Jobs NYC. (n.d.). CUNY Industry Support Hub. https://jobs.nyc.gov/employers/services/cuny-industry-support-hub/

CUNY. (n.d.). CUNY Upskilling. https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/ocip/students/upskilling/

CUNY. (n.d.). Office of Careers and Industry Partnerships: Career Success Initiatives. https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/ocip/