BoBCAT Brooklyn

OUR MISSION

To educate, nurture, and sustain a well-prepared, world-class workforce in Brooklyn, New York, to eradicate chronic unemployment and underemployment within the borough.

Established in 2021 by a group of concerned professionals, The Borough of Brooklyn Center for Arts & Technology (BoBCAT) was created to address the chronically high unemployment and underemployment rates among underrepresented populations and communities in Brooklyn, New York. BoBCAT provides educational, career, and soft-skills training, enabling our participants to compete effectively for high-growth jobs in high-wage sectors of a global society.

BoBCAT’s efforts primarily focus on the Brooklyn neighborhoods of East New York, Brownsville, Bedford Stuyvesant, Sunset Park, Flatbush, and East Flatbush - areas supported by data obtained from state and city-wide community needs assessments that demonstrate disproportionate rates of unemployment and poverty. Using this data and knowing through lived experiences, we established a training program that consists of educational pathways to prepare our candidates for fields in which they can pursue livable wage careers without needing a college degree.

To date, we have partnered with the Carpenter’s Union, as well as programs within the Information Technology and HVAC sectors. In addition to mentorship, BoBCAT offers communication and interviewing skills, problem-solving and time management strategies, and resume building. 

Since 2021, BoBCAT has seen incredible progress. We have interviewed over 600 candidates, and have instructed approximately 300 individuals through our Soft Skills Training Workshops. We have sent 80 candidates to BuildingWorks, with 40 graduating from BuildingWorks’ program and several now joining the ranks of journeyman (woman) carpenters.

We have learned through our Alumni Reunions that many of our graduates, benefiting from the transferable nature of the skills taught in our Workshops, have begun careers in such varied places as the Atlanta Metropolitan Police Department, the NYC Department of Education, NYCHA, the Museum of Natural History, and UBS. In addition, we have hosted job fairs or offered Financial Literacy sessions for other nonprofit organizations, reaching audiences of over 100 people. In total, we have helped create $2.5 million in annual incomes – and counting. 

These numbers represent real change and, with your support, we can continue to provide life-changing opportunities. 

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