NY S07646

Establishes the "Help Individuals Reach Employment" (HIRE) program for SUNY and CUNY graduates to provide free certificate programs enhancing employment marketability.

Eligible applicants must have a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher, completed within five years (six years if the degree typically requires five years), completed approved experiential learning, and unsuccessfully sought full-time employment in New York State for at least six months within one year of graduation.

SUNY and CUNY trustees shall establish or identify existing certificate programs aligned with job market needs through consultation with the Department of Labor, offered free to eligible applicants either in-person or online.

Applicants may choose to complete certificate programs at their original institution, any other SUNY/CUNY campus online, or a community college, with the community college receiving reimbursement from the four-year institution where the applicant earned their bachelor's degree.

Each SUNY and CUNY four-year institution must inform incoming freshmen and transfer students about anticipated job availability and salary ranges by major, which majors require graduate degrees, and the institution's undergraduate student employment rates within one year of graduation.