Adult Education Programs

CUNY’s Continuing and Professional Education

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CUNY’s Continuing and Professional Education offers courses for professionals seeking

advancement and up-to-date certification; people exploring new careers and occupations;

new immigrants credentialing their skills for the American workforce; adults improving

their English or math proficiency to attain a High School Equivalency diploma; and more.

CUNY’s seventeen continuing education departments have over 1,500 programs.

For more information about these programs, click here.

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NYC Department of Youth and Community Development

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The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) works with

community-based organizations across all five boroughs that provide services and support

to immigrant New Yorkers, including workforce development, parenting skills, computer

access and training, and other inter-generational programming.

To learn more about these options, call (800) 246-4646.

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NYC Department of Education Office of Adult and Continuing Education

The New York City Department of Education Office of Adult and Continuing Education

(OACE) offers over 900 classes for adults age 21 and over. You can take classes at any of the

sites, regardless of which borough you live in.

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To learn more about these programs, click here.

We Are New York (WANY)

WANY provides free English language conversation classes for English language learners.

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Volunteers lead these classes using the Emmy Award-winning educational TV series, “We

Are New York,” and the educational materials that accompany each video. The videos are

based on true-to-life stories of immigrants making their way in New York City and provide

useful information about government services.

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Contact MOIA at (212) 788-7654 to find out which organizations in your neighborhood are

offering WANY classes.

Workforce Development

Workforce1 Centers

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Workforce1 is a service that prepares and connects qualified candidates to job opportunities

in New York City. Workforce1 Career Centers are located throughout the five boroughs of

New York City. In addition to job matching, Workforce1 also connects qualified individuals

to occupational training and provides career services workshops and career advice.

Immigrants with work authorization are able to access these services. Anyone 18 years or

older can visit a Workforce1 Career Center.

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Please note: valid ID is required to prove your date of birth.

Examples include: IDNYC, New York State Driver’s License, birth certificate, passport, and more.

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Click here to learn more about Workforce1 Centers.

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Click here to find Workforce1 Center Locations.

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Small Business Services

NYC Business Solutions:

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NYC Business Solutions is a set of free services that help businesses start, operate, and

expand in New York City. NYC Business Solutions offers:

• Business Courses

• Legal Assistance

• Financing Assistance

• Incentives

• Navigating Government

• Recruitment

• Training

• Selling to Government

• Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) Certification\

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Click here to learn more.

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Business owners can contact the Centers directly or can call 311 and ask for “NYC Business

Solutions.”

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Click here to find Business Solution Centers.

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Free Business Courses in Different Languages

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Immigrant-owned small businesses play an essential role in New York City’s economy. As

part of our ongoing commitment to serving the City’s immigrant entrepreneurs, the NYC

Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has developed a number of free business

courses and resources specifically for speakers of Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean,

Haitian Creole, French, Bengali, Urdu, and Arabic.

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Click here to find centers in your preferred language.

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Starting or Running a Business

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The City has resources to help you learn which permits, licenses, and regulations matter

to you. Click here to learn more.

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To learn more about the programs the City has for immigrant business owners, click here.

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Financial Empowerment

Free Financial Counseling

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Through the NYC Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE), you can meet one-on-one with a

professional financial counselor who can help you take control of your debt, deal with debt

collectors, improve your credit, create a budget, open a bank account, start an emergency

fund, save and plan for your future, and much more.

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Financial counseling is free and confidential. Counselors speak multiple languages. Call 311

to schedule an appointment at one of the nearly 30 Centers across the city.

For more information about OFE’s programs and services, click here.