So awesome to hear about Antwan's connection to the brotherhood he feels with fellow truck drivers.
To watch Antwan's story, tap here.
Ready to start your commercial trucking career & get your Free CDL? Apply for our program today.
So awesome to hear about Antwan's connection to the brotherhood he feels with fellow truck drivers.
To watch Antwan's story, tap here.
Ready to start your commercial trucking career & get your Free CDL? Apply for our program today.
Emerge Career, Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, Department of Citywide Administrative Services, NYC Talent and Workforce, Department of Probation, and Department of Correction bring hiring employers and tuition-free training in CDL, diesel technician, and other skilled trades directly to underserved New Yorkers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York City Agencies and Emerge Career Partner to Connect Hundreds of New Yorkers with Skilled Trades Careers at Next Mile NYC Economic Opportunity Summit, Delivering Opportunity, Affordability, and Justice
Emerge Career, Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, Department of Citywide Administrative Services, NYC Office of Talent and Workforce, Department of Probation, and Department of Correction bring hiring employers and tuition-free training in CDL, diesel technician, and other skilled trades directly to underserved New Yorkers
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — September 3, 2026 — Emerge Career, a leading workforce development technology company, and the New York City Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) yesterday hosted the Next Mile NYC Economic Opportunity Summit at the Brooklyn Community Pride Center, convening elected officials, city agency leaders, major employers, and justice-involved New Yorkers to showcase how the city can deliver economic opportunity and expand access to skilled trades careers for underserved New Yorkers. Graduates were hired or offered pre-hire letters on the spot while hundreds were connected with employers.
The summit featured over 200 attendees across the evening, including remarks from MOCJ Director Deanna Logan, Department of Probation Commissioner Sharun Goodwin, Department of Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards, Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Yume Kitasei, NYC Office of Talent and Workforce Executive Director Doug Lipari, and NYC Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, and highlighted Next Mile NYC’s track record of training and placing hundreds of justice-involved individuals in CDL/trucking and diesel technician careers. The packed event and opening remarks showcased the success and innovation of Next Mile NYC, delivering economic opportunity and mobility for hundreds of justice-involved New Yorkers through skilled trades careers. The event also highlighted the program’s innovative, outcome-based model which was developed by Emerge Career and MOCJ to improve upon the standard structures and funding of the city’s workforce programs to date, rewarding outcomes — credentials, placements, and wage growth — rather than program enrollment alone.
"We were thrilled to bring together our partners across the city to show the power of our work. Next Mile NYC is bringing real, tangible second chances – rooted in careers, not just credentials – to New Yorkers. Each agency partner showed how tremendous the impact can be when we work together. Emerge is delivering outcomes by the hundreds across the city and solving critical workforce challenges." said Zo Orchingwa, Emerge Career Co-CEO.
“Access to lucrative career opportunities changes the entire trajectory of an individual’s life and benefits their community," said Deanna Logan, Director of MOCJ. "We’re proud to partner with Emerge Career to give more New Yorkers the chance to succeed. Next Mile NYC gives individuals the ability to garner skills that lead to lasting careers, creating a path forward for the individual, their families, and strengthens our city.”
Panelists for the policy summit included Samantha Kleinfield of MOCJ, Safiya Baptiste-Taylor of HRA, Trey Reid of PINCC, and Colette Grant of DYCD who highlighted the ways the city can strengthen its supports for underserved populations, increase visibility into student employment outcomes, and improve the delivery of careers, not just jobs. Next Mile NYC achieves all three: rigorous transparency across the student journey through placement and retention, wraparound supports, and life-changing careers that deliver many six-figure careers with entrepreneurial opportunities.
The cross-city participation was on full display with representation from The Mayor’s Office, theNYC Department of Probation, the NYC Department of Correction, the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the NYC Office of Talent and Workforce, the NYC City Council, the NYC Economic Development Corporation, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, and NYC Human Resources Administration, among others.
The summit also featured firsthand accounts from Emerge Career graduates now working in skilled trades careers making an average of $75,000, underscoring the economic mobility possible when training programs are paired with direct employer partnerships.
“At the Department of Probation, we know that opportunity is essential to creating lasting pathways forward,” said NYC Department of Probation Commissioner Sharun Goodwin. “Next Mile NYC is about connecting New Yorkers to skills, credentials and employers that can lead to family-sustaining careers and greater economic stability. By working alongside our partners across government and the private sector, we are helping our clients turn potential into opportunity and build stronger futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
“Whenever someone comes into contact with the criminal legal system, all of us in government have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to help build on-ramps to better futures,” said NYC Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards. “And that is exactly what programs like these can achieve. Everyone who has engaged is charting a new path and showing the world what is possible when we invest in people — and when people invest in themselves.”
"Jobs with the city are some of the best in the nation with competitive pay and fantastic benefits, and much like the mission of the Next Mile program, at DCAS we are working to break down barriers to employment," said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. "We are proud to have joined Next Mile and our sister agencies for the Economic Opportunity Summit, and we encourage any New Yorker looking for work to consider municipal employment with the City of New York."
“Today’s summit highlights the value in removing barriers and not overlooking untapped talent. By bringing together employers, jobseekers, and City leaders, we are forging career pathways for justice-impacted New Yorkers," said NYC Office of Talent and Workforce Development Executive Director Doug Lipari. "Thanks to the collaboration between MOCJ and Emerge Career, we are ensuring that New Yorkers with valuable CDL skills gain direct access to careers in transportation."
“If we want New Yorkers returning from the justice system to stay on the right path, it is the responsibility of all of us to create paths available to them,” said Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, Chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice. “Through training, licensing, and direct connections to possible careers, Next Mile NYC represents a model for what is possible when government and employers work together to remove barriers and invest in workers. I wish success for every graduate, every person taking their first step on this journey, and a special thank you to Emerge Career for opening doors that for too long have been kept closed.”
For media inquiries, please contact Noah Pransky, press@mocj.nyc.gov, or Jason Barefoot, jason@emergecareer.com.
About Emerge Career
Emerge Career is an AI-powered workforce development platform and public benefit corporation that trains and places underserved Americans in skilled trades careers, including CDL/trucking, HVAC, and diesel mechanics.
About the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice
The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice makes NYC communities safer — and the justice system more fair — with data-backed initiatives and equitable solutions.
Emerge Career, an AI-powered workforce development platform, will co-host the Next Mile NYC Economic Opportunity Summit with the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) on September 2nd at the Major R Owens Community Center.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK, NY — Emerge Career, an AI-powered workforce development platform, will co-host the Next Mile NYC Economic Opportunity Summit with the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) on September 2nd at the Major R Owens Community Center. The summit brings together elected officials, city agency leaders, employers, and community partners to advance economic opportunity for justice-involved New Yorkers through skilled trades careers, including CDL/trucking, HVAC, and diesel mechanics.
The event will feature remarks from MOCJ Director Deanna Logan, Department of Corrections Commissioner Stanley Richards, Department of Probation Commissioner Sharun Goodwin, Department of Citywide Administrative Services Yume Kitasei, and NYC Talent and Workforce Executive Director Doug Lipari, along with key employer partners and the Emerge Career students who are training and ready to become skilled tradespeople.
"We are thrilled to bring together our partners across government and the private sector to show the power of our work with MOCJ. Next Mile NYC is bringing real, tangible second chances – rooted in careers, not just credentials – to New Yorkers, showing what's possible when we invest in outcomes that create true economic opportunity," said Zo Orchingwa, Emerge Career Co-CEO.
"Access to lucrative career opportunities changes the entire trajectory of an individual’s life and benefits their community," said Deanna Logan, Director of MOCJ. "We’re proud to partner with Emerge Career to give more New Yorkers the chance to succeed. Next Mile NYC gives individuals the ability to garner skills that lead to lasting careers, creating a path forward for the individual, their families, and strengthens our city.
The summit builds on Emerge Career's broader case: an outcomes-based workforce development model that brings together employers, policy officials, and community leaders is the best path forward to rapidly reduce recidivism and increase economic opportunity across the city.
Event Details:
📍 Major R Owens Community Center: 1561 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225
🗓️ September 2, 2026
🕐 4-7pm
For media inquiries, please contact Noah Pransky, npransky@mocj.nyc.gov, or Jason Barefoot, jason@emergecareer.com.
About Emerge Career
Emerge Career is an AI-powered workforce development platform and public benefit corporation that trains and places justice-involved individuals in skilled trades careers, including CDL/trucking, HVAC, and diesel mechanics.
About the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice
The Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice makes NYC communities safer — and the justice system more fair — with data-backed initiatives and equitable solutions.
What a trucking career actually is, why it pays $75K+ without a degree, and how NYC residents can train for free in 3–4 months.
72% of America's freight moves by truck, but there is a shortage of drivers. Here's what the job is, what it pays, and how to start in NYC for free.
If you are based in New York City, Emerge Career offers 100% free training for your Class A CDL, supported by the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice's Next Mile NYC program. Online/in person study materials, trucking school, and job placement, all 100% free.
Live in NYC with a history of arrest, probation, parole, incarceration, or pre-trial diversion? Check the eligibility requirements and apply — it takes 10 minutes.
You drive a commercial truck, usually a tractor-trailer, moving freight between warehouses, ports, and stores. There's various routes for different lifestyles:
Over-the-road - Most openings for new drivers. Travel across the country and see new places. Spend weeks out.
Regional - Drive in a set region (e.g. "Northeast Region"). Explore New York and beyond while still being home most weekends.
Local - Home every night, drive local to your state/city. Stay close to your family every day.
No degree or prior work experience needed. As long as you come in ready to learn, you can succeed as a truck driver.
Real pay. Next Mile NYC graduates earn a median salary of $75,000 a year. Industry standards are: $50–60K starting, $70–90K with experience, $100K+ as an owner-operator. Most companies provide health insurance, 401(k), and PTO.
Fast entry. 3–4 months of training. Our fastest student: 42 days.
Job security. Many carriers have been short on drivers for years.
Room to climb. Endorsements (Hazmat, Tanker, Doubles/Triples) raise pay. Many drivers go on to own their truck and there's various entrepreneurial avenues.
The license is a Commercial Driver's License. The top license is the Class A — it covers tractor-trailers and opens the most jobs at the highest pay. Steps:
1. ~40 hours online studying for the permit test (Emerge offers free study materials, various other free study materials available as well).
2. Pass the knowledge test at the DMV for your Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP).
3. ~120 hours behind the wheel at a local trucking school.
4. Pass the CDL road exam.
You'll also need a DOT physical and drug screening.
Ready to start? If you're in NYC, check the eligibility requirements and apply — it takes 10 minutes, and the training costs you nothing.