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.

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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.

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"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.

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"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.

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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.

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Event Details:

📍 Major R Owens Community Center: 1561 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225

🗓️ September 2, 2026

🕐 4-7pm

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For media inquiries, please contact Noah Pransky, npransky@mocj.nyc.gov, or Jason Barefoot, jason@emergecareer.com.

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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.

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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.

Intro to Trucking: What a Truck Driving Career Is and Why It's Worth It

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.

Free CDL Class A scholarship supported by the NYC Mayor's Office

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.

What the job is

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.

Why it's worth it

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.

How you get in: the CDL

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.

Queens Study Hall: Free CDL Permit Prep in Long Island City

On Tuesday, August 4, students filled a room at the Ravenswood Community Learning Center in Long Island City from 3:30 to 5:00pm for a CDL Study Hall. Pizza on the table, practice questions on the screen, and a group of people working through the same commercial learner's permit exam at the same time.

This is a recurring Tuesday afternoon slot in Queens, and it runs on purpose. Studying for the CLP alone off a phone is where most people stall out. Studying in a room with an instructor and five other people who are also two weeks out from their exam is a different experience. Orlando Garcia, one of our NYC ambassadors, helped bring people in.

What students said

Every student who filled out a feedback card rated the session 5 out of 5 and said they would recommend it, scoring it a 10 out of 10. The value they named was not the lecture. It was the room.

"It's good to get other people's input," Jalal wrote. Gabriel pointed to "the amount of information given to pass the test." Ginnette, who is early in her studying, said the material "is valuable when you're just starting to learn."

Where the room stood on the permit exam

Study Halls exist to move one number: how many students actually sit for the CLP written exam. Two students walked out with dates on the calendar, one of them testing the very next morning. One more said he could be ready inside a week, another inside two to three weeks. The rest are mid-study and need another few weeks, which is normal and fine.

The only obstacle anyone named was work. "My job timing interferes," Bryan wrote. That is the most common thing we hear, which is why the coursework is self-paced and why this Study Hall repeats every week instead of being a one-time event. If you know your test date, our guide on how to schedule your CLP exam in New York walks through the paperwork.

Free CDL training in Queens

Emerge Career trains justice-impacted New Yorkers for Class A CDL jobs at no cost. No tuition, no debt, and job placement help at the end. Our New York City program page covers eligibility and what the training looks like week to week. If you are in Queens and you want to be in the room next Tuesday, start your application and we will get you on the list.