ALBANY — New York State says it seeks to bolster recruitment for thousands of vacant openings with state agencies and says multiple resources are available for jobseekers. The New York State Department of Civil Service has partnered with the New York State Department of Labor in establishing the Centers for Careers in Government within specific […]
ALBANY — New York State says it seeks to bolster recruitment for thousands of vacant openings with state agencies and says multiple resources are available for jobseekers. The New York State Department of Civil Service has partnered with the New York State Department of Labor in establishing the Centers for Careers in Government within specific New York State Department of Labor Career Centers, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Sept. 17. It represents one of the many initiatives to fill public-service vacancies. In Albany, the joint-agency Center for Careers in Government is one of 10 facilities throughout New York where staff with the state Labor Department and state Civil Service Department collaborate to provide support to assist jobseekers. They help them to learn about the state’s civil-service merit and job-classification systems, as well as the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide (NY HELPS) program. Prospective candidates can visit the Centers for Careers in Government website to view upcoming job fairs and workshops to learn about careers in public service, Hochul’s office said. The NY HELPS program temporarily waives the civil-service exam requirements for thousands of vacant state job openings available to the general public. For those remaining positions that require exams, all state exam-application fees are waived through December 2025 following an agreement secured by Hochul in the FY 2024 state budget. Staff at the centers assist job seekers in learning about the varied opportunities in public service and how and when to apply, while also providing enhanced resources to current state employees within their coverage area to bolster career mobility and transfer opportunities. This complements the wide-ranging career guidance available in all 100 career centers across New York that serve to connect individuals to training and career pathways in both the public and private sectors. Earlier this year, the governor announced an expansion of the NY HELPS program to assist agencies in filling vacancies open to the public so that the state can better meet the needs of New Yorkers. Since the program’s inception in 2023, more than 20,000 New Yorkers have been hired into the NY HELPS program, allowing the state and local governments to quickly fill roles. Her office says Hochul has also taken additional steps to bolster the state’s workforce, such as lifting the yearslong state hiring freeze, expanding opportunities via the Governor’s Program to Hire Individuals and Veterans with Disabilities (55/b/c), and providing funding for new testing centers across the state.