Empire State of Mind: David Fischer on Policy, Funding, and Equity in New York State's Workforce Vision

Gregory J. Morris sits down with David Fischer, Interim Executive Director of the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals (NYATEP), for a conversation on the state of New York’s workforce development system and what it will take to unlock true mobility for workers.Drawing on his decades of leadership across city government, education, philanthropy, and nonprofit advocacy, David reflects on the throughline of his career: building systems that center people. From his early work founding the workforce policy desk at the Center for an Urban Future, to championing CTE innovation at NYC DOE, to launching the Center for Youth Employment, his trajectory underscores the power of aligning policy, philanthropy, and lived experience.Greg and David unpack the systemic challenges holding back progress: fragmented funding streams, misaligned performance metrics, and a scarcity mindset that leads to short-term fixes rather than durable solutions. The conversation highlights what’s at stake if New York continues to underinvest in its workforce infrastructure, and what’s possible if policymakers treat workforce equity as essential to the state’s future competitiveness and inclusive growth.This episode offers a blueprint for moving from “just employment” to real mobility, calling on listeners, advocates, and policymakers alike to help reclaim the ladder of opportunity for New Yorkers too often left behind.Published by: New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC)Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkTopics: Workforce policy reform, NYATEP, systemic alignment, workforce equity, middle-wage jobs, care economy, reskilling pathways, poverty and opportunity, NYCETC, funding fragmentation, long-term investment, career mobility