Hochul announces Queens AI jobs institute aiming to train 40,000 by 2032

Up to 40,000 New Yorkers could receive AI career training by 2032 under a Queens-based initiative announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on October 22. The AI Jobs Institute will be powered by Pursuit, a nonprofit workforce-training and job-placement organization, with a mandate that reaches beyond courses to employer connections and workforce policy.

The announcement is not the same as an opening. In a June 23 announcement, Pursuit described the institute as a public-private partnership scheduled to launch in Long Island City, Queens, in 2027. That earlier plan also identified adults from underrepresented communities as the hub’s intended audience, pairing skills development with access to employers rather than presenting training as a stand-alone service.

State support and employer connections

Empire State Development is supporting the hub with $3.06 million, Government Technology reported. The funding comes through two state economic-development channels. Pursuit brings a model that pairs training with long-term employer partnerships, while the institute’s plans call for bringing employers, workers and industry partners together around AI-related career pathways.

Supporters include Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, New York City government partners and a coalition of philanthropic, industry and civic organizations. Government Technology names Wells Fargo, Anthropic and the Partnership Fund for New York City among them. A National Advisory Council will support the institute’s work, with founding members drawn from education and the technology sector.

$1.5 millionOffice of Strategic Workforce Development

Empire State Development’s support includes $1.5 million through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development.

$1.56 millionRegional Economic Development Council initiative

Another $1.56 million comes through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

Training tied to practical work

Earlier funding plans offer a more concrete picture of the work Pursuit intends to deliver. Its June announcement disclosed a $2.5 million, three-year Google.org grant running from June 2026 through May 2029. Pursuit said the grant would fund four connected workstreams through the institute, extending its reach to businesses, teachers, college students and low-income adults.

• Small businesses: Workshops, applied projects and implementation support would serve small and midsize businesses across all five boroughs. Pursuit-trained participants from low-income communities would work as paid AI consultants, gaining experience while helping businesses use the technology.
• Teachers: A partnership with the United Federation of Teachers would train New York City public school teachers as AI Ambassadors, focusing on practical classroom integration and leadership within their schools.
• Community colleges: Starting with LaGuardia Community College and expanding across CUNY, Pursuit plans career pathways that combine hands-on AI training with employer partnerships to connect students with AI-related work.
• Statewide training: Pursuit says it leads the AI Prep for Jobs coalition, including Per Scholas in Buffalo and Le Moyne College in Syracuse, delivering intensive AI workforce training to low-income adults in those cities and New York City.

A remit beyond getting people hired

Beyond classes, the institute is intended to incubate pilots and tools and produce data and recommendations for state and federal AI workforce strategies. Those responsibilities give it a role in testing approaches and informing policy, alongside its direct work helping residents develop skills and connect with career opportunities.

The institute will also house the New York Global Tech and Innovation Center. That center is intended to connect underrepresented entrepreneurs with capital, partnerships and networks to build and grow their companies. Its stated goal is to create more than a dozen high-growth startups over five years—a separate ambition from the institute’s resident-training target.