Challenges

Limited English proficiency

Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing racial and ethnic groups. However, 49% of working age Asian New Yorkers had limited English proficiency (LEP), with both Chinese (63%) and Korean (52%) at even higher percentage, and compared to a citywide LEP rate of 25%.

Working Poor

Asians have a 73% labor force participation rate, compared to 71% for Non-Hispanic Whites.  However they are more apt to be poor than non-Hispanic Whites and more apt to be low-income than NYC residents overall. 

Unemployment Rate

Of the unemployed Asian Americans, 41.9 percent were long-termed unemployed, compared to 35.8 percent of the white unemployed and 34.6 percent of the Latino unemployed.

Barriers for entrepreneurs 

Nearly 1 in 10 Asian Americans in the workforce are self-employed. But they are also suffering from the following major barriers to immigrant entrepreneurs' success: Language & literacy Barriers; Trouble Bridging the Technological Divide;  Limited Financial Literacy & Access to Capital.

Our Solutions

How we do it

Employability Asset Building

CMP provides new immigrants and first time job seekers necessary tools to enhance their employability. Our Adult Literacy Program (ALP) maintains one of the highest program standards, employing only licensed instructors with a Masters degree in TESOL and incorporates civic and work place education in our English language learning curriculum.  More than 80% of our participants achieved a 2-level educational gain.

The Train & Earn Program (former OSY Program) engages disconnected young adults and prepares them to enter the world of work.  We also make it a priority to assist them to invest in their future. Through our work in college preparation, 90% of our young adult participants successfully enrolled and completed college.

The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), Work Learn and Grow Program (WLG) and Opportunity Youth(NDA) offers work experience to about 1,000 youth every year in a real world setting. A first job for many of them, program work sites span across non-profit, governmental, as well as business sectors, providing supervised work experience, performance appraisal, as well as real income. 

Career Development

As a NYS Department of Education licensed career school, CMP’s vocational training programs feature entry level skills training in Accounting and QuickBooks as well as Freight Forwarding Operation. We have a Career Pathway Program featuring a series of training that assist individuals to progress from entry level skills and continue toward mid-level skills necessary to advance their careers in the health care sector. Training modules currently include Certified Nurse Aide (CNA), EKG Technician, and Phlebotomist. Eighty percent (80%) of our program graduates were successful in finding a job. 

In addition to skills training, CMP also offers Direct Job Placement through walk-in services, annual job fairs, and recruitment events.  In addition to local businesses, we featured noted employers such as TD Bank, Con-Edison, Allure Group, Spectrum, and United Healthcare, to name a few.  In addition, CMP has worked with major employers to hold targeted recruitment events.  Our recruitment partners included Bloomingdale’s, Coach, McDonald’s, NYC Department of Sanitation and etc.

Entrepreneurial assistance

By assisting individuals wishing to be self-employed, CMP helps to maximize their investments, limit risks and potential losses, and help to create jobs.  Our Entrepreneur Assistance Program (EAP) combines individual technical assistance with classroom training to offer a 10-week, 60-hour intensive training to aspiring entrepreneurs.  Participants finish the program with a business plan, complete with follow up support from our program staff.  Individual Counseling is provided to our clients in assisting them to actually go through the process of business incorporation, identifying and assisting in application of low interest loans, obtaining WMBE status, and referring them to professional resources such as legal, accounting, and taxation services.

Our Financial Literacy Workshops and Topical Workshops such as social media marketing, MWBE certification, and government resources, etc. were offered throughout the year to support startup and business expansion.

Over the past 10 years, CMP Business Outreach Center (BOC) assisted over 930 entrepreneurs and small business owners through one-on-one counseling and coaching services. In addition, we hosted 712 workshops and seminars, helped 122 businesses increase sales by $4.2 million, created 137 jobs, and assisted businesses to secure $4.5 million loans and grants.

Community Services

CMP offers Chinese language instruction, art courses, and cultural classes for adults and children. Established in 1991, CMP’s Chinese School currently offers instruction for kindergarten to sixth graders and middle school aged children, art classes for children ages five through 12, and adult Mandarin classes. More than 600 students are enrolled within the Chinese School in 3 locations. Teachers are qualified by the Department of Education of Mainland, China or Taiwan and have had previous experience in teaching. 

In partnership with New York Care and Kaplan Test Prep, we also offer a range in community classes including SAT Preparation Program, English conversation courses, and Citizenship and Civic Education.

Our Collegiate Student Services Center (CSSC) aims to assist college students who are undergoing major changes with lives in post-secondary education, particularly those who study abroad in the U.S. Our goal is to help students to adjust to college lives in New York, provide information and referral to services available, and connect them to support networks. As a newly launched program, we currently provide information to temporary housing solutions, supportive chat sessions, and application for emergency assistance in response to heightened anxiety under the COVID-19 crisis.