# Tip Source Audit — Phase 5 of 6

**Category:** Income, Training and Employment  
**Rows reviewed:** 27 of 27  
**Verification date:** August 2, 2026  
**Source standard:** Current official agency pages, program operators, apprenticeship sponsor records, recruitment notices and wage schedules.

## Result summary

- **Verified current:** 5
- **Verified with corrections:** 18
- **Verified with a current-opening caution:** 4
- **Removed as false or inactive:** 0

## Material public-card corrections

- **SUNY Reconnect:** removed “no matter your age.” The core program is for eligible adults ages 25–55; a fall 2026 nursing exception can include some students who already hold another degree.
- **MTA Bus Operator:** clarified that the approximately $85,000 base rate is reached in the sixth year, not at hiring. The latest cited notice starts at $28.76 per hour and its filing window is closed.
- **Local 138:** removed an unsupported September 2026 recruitment window and changed “Apply” to “Watch for” a future official announcement.
- **ACCES-VR:** added the official OJT rule: up to 100% reimbursement of an entry-level wage for up to 26 weeks under an approved training agreement.
- **NY HELPS:** added the current June 30, 2028 expiration date.
- **Per Scholas:** disclosed that training is usually full-time, learners generally are not paid, and employer connections do not guarantee a job.
- **First Course NYC:** confirmed current recruiting, eight weeks of free full-time training, and advancement for qualified trainees into paid restaurant apprenticeships.
- **Train & Earn:** added the out-of-school/out-of-work requirement and diploma/equivalency requirement.
- **CUNY Reconnect:** corrected the description because it also serves first-time adult students age 24+, and does not itself guarantee free tuition.
- **NYC adult education:** narrowed eligibility to the official age and diploma rules.
- **Individual Training Grants:** corrected the current ITG employed-income ceiling to **under $91,000**. The separate general Access Training page still uses **under $63,925**, so the two standards must not be merged.
- **SUNY short credentials:** added current Part-Time TAP and Workforce Pell paths while making clear that not every course is free or employer-linked.
- **Youth apprenticeship:** replaced the broad CareerReady framework with the concrete CRMYA paid-apprenticeship pathway at participating schools.
- **Co-op Tech:** corrected the “public trade school for young people” wording to its actual half-day DOE eligibility structure.
- **New Americans:** corrected a source mismatch. The English-plus-workforce program is run through the NYS Office for New Americans Opportunity Centers, not SUNY EOCs.

## Row-by-row audit

| # | Program | Status | Audit finding | Official sources |
|---:|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUNY Reconnect | verified with correction | Confirmed ages 25–55, NY residency/in-state tuition, no prior college degree, approved associate program, and last-dollar coverage of tuition, fees, books and supplies. Fall 2026 adds eligible nursing students with a prior degree and new fields/campuses. | [1](https://www.suny.edu/reconnect/)<br>[2](https://www.suny.edu/reconnect/faq/) |
| 2 | MTA Bus Operator | verified with correction | Replaced the evergreen $85K implication with the current published progression: $28.76/hour to $41.09/hour in year six. The cited Exam 6609 filing window closed November 15, 2025; future notices may change rates and requirements. | [1](https://www.mta.info/document/187271)<br>[2](https://new.mta.info/careers/exam-schedule) |
| 3 | IUOE Local 138 apprenticeship | verified with caution | Local 138 remains an active registered sponsor, but no current official recruitment notice supporting the previously entered September 2026 dates was located. The public card now says to watch for a future announcement. | [1](https://dol.ny.gov/list-active-sponsors)<br>[2](https://dol.ny.gov/apprenticeship/apprenticeship-announcements) |
| 4 | Per Scholas | verified with correction | Per Scholas confirms no-cost New York technology courses, usually 12–16 weeks and full-time. Learners are not generally paid; employer connections and coaching do not guarantee employment. | [1](https://perscholas.org/locations/new-york/) |
| 5 | ACCES-VR training and employer wage reimbursement | verified with correction | ACCES-VR policy confirms approved OJT can reimburse 100% of an employer’s customary entry-level gross wages for up to 26 weeks. It is a structured training agreement, not a general hiring subsidy available on demand. | [1](https://www.acces.nysed.gov/vr/137540-work-try-out-wto-job-training-ojt-policy)<br>[2](https://www.acces.nysed.gov/vr/job-training-ojt) |
| 6 | NY HELPS | verified current | Civil Service confirms NY HELPS positions can hire qualified applicants without the usual open-competitive exam and that state and local HELPS authority currently expires June 30, 2028. | [1](https://www.cs.ny.gov/help/)<br>[2](https://statejobs.ny.gov/public/vacancyTable.cfm) |
| 7 | IBEW Local 3 apprenticeship | verified with caution | Local 3 is listed as an active registered electrician sponsor. No current open official recruitment notice was located, so the card no longer suggests applications are continuously available. | [1](https://dol.ny.gov/list-active-sponsors)<br>[2](https://www.jibei.org/education-training/apprentice-training/) |
| 8 | IBEW Local 25 electrician apprenticeship | verified with caution | NYS DOL lists Local 25 electrician and electrical-maintenance programs as active. The union homepage does not show a current public filing window, so recruitment is described as periodic and notice-specific. | [1](https://dol.ny.gov/list-active-sponsors)<br>[2](https://www.ibew25.org/) |
| 9 | Opportunities Long Island | verified with correction | The operator confirms an eight-week apprentice-preparation program connecting underserved Long Islanders to union construction pathways. The site supports preparation and access, not guaranteed apprenticeship admission. | [1](https://opportunitieslongisland.org/) |
| 10 | Center for Employment Opportunities | verified current | CEO’s current model confirms paid orientation, immediate paid transitional work, up to four crew days per week, daily pay, job coaching and one year of retention support for people returning from incarceration. | [1](https://www.ceoworks.org/locations/new-york-1)<br>[2](https://www.ceoworks.org/our-model) |
| 11 | Green City Force Service Corps | verified with caution | Green City Force remains an AmeriCorps/green-career pathway for young NYCHA residents. Exact stipend, age limits, education award and current cohort dates must be confirmed on the active application before publication. | [1](https://greencityforce.org/service-corps/) |
| 12 | Self-Employment Assistance Program | verified with correction | SEAP allows approved claimants to work full time on a new business while collecting remaining UI, without ordinary work-search requirements or reduction for business income. Written acceptance, 13 remaining weeks, training/counseling and other conditions apply; no start-up grant is provided. | [1](https://dol.ny.gov/node/21606)<br>[2](https://dol.ny.gov/node/21631) |
| 13 | NYC 55-a program | verified current | DCAS confirms certified applicants with qualifying disabilities may be appointed to eligible competitive-class positions without the exam, while still meeting job qualifications and competing for an open vacancy. | [1](https://www.nyc.gov/site/dcas/employment/55-a-program.page) |
| 14 | First Course NYC | verified with correction | SBS currently says First Course NYC is recruiting. It provides eight weeks of free full-time culinary training, followed for qualified trainees by paid full-time restaurant apprenticeship; permanent retention is performance-dependent. | [1](https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/careers/food-service.page)<br>[2](https://www.nyc.gov/employment/programs/first-course-nyc) |
| 15 | Free CNA/HHA training and 1199SEIU upgrading | verified with correction | No single universal free CNA/HHA program exists. 1199SEIU training benefits depend on member/fund eligibility, while employer and workforce cohorts have separate admissions, pay and work-commitment rules. The public card now presents this as a provider-by-provider search. | [1](https://www.1199seiubenefits.org/training/)<br>[2](https://www.1199seiubenefits.org/employment/) |
| 16 | Other NYS registered apprenticeships | verified current | NYS registered apprenticeships are paid employment with related instruction, but openings are sponsor-specific, competitive and time-limited. Users must rely on the current recruitment announcement. | [1](https://dol.ny.gov/apprenticeship/apprenticeship-announcements)<br>[2](https://dol.ny.gov/list-active-sponsors) |
| 17 | NYC SBS industrial and green training | verified with correction | SBS Access Training confirms free sector training for eligible NYC residents and lists current recruiting/training statuses. General eligibility includes age 18+, NYC residency, work authorization and, if employed, income below $63,925; each course may add rules. | [1](https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/careers/access-training.page)<br>[2](https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/careers/industrial-training.page) |
| 18 | DYCD Train & Earn | verified with correction | DYCD confirms Train & Earn includes career exploration, paid internships, credentials/placement support and mental-health support for eligible NYC residents ages 16–24 who are not in school or working and generally hold a diploma/equivalency. | [1](https://www.nyc.gov/site/dycd/services/jobs-internships/train-and-earn.page) |
| 19 | CUNY Reconnect | verified with correction | CUNY Reconnect is broader than a stopped-out-student program: it is open to adults age 24+ pursuing associate, bachelor’s or graduate degrees, including first-time enrollees. It provides navigation, not guaranteed free tuition or debt forgiveness. | [1](https://www.cuny.edu/admissions/reconnect/) |
| 20 | NYC SBS Access Training | verified with correction | Access Training offers free SBS-run programs and an entry route to ITGs. Eligibility and current recruiting lists are published, but not every applicant receives a funded seat and authorization must precede enrollment. | [1](https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/careers/access-training.page) |
| 21 | NYC DOE Adult Education | verified with correction | NYC Public Schools confirms tuition-free adult education for eligible people 21+ without a U.S. diploma/equivalency. CTE space for adults who already hold an equivalency is limited, so the former broad “all adults” wording was narrowed. | [1](https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/other-ways-to-graduate/adult-education) |
| 22 | NYC Individual Training Grants | verified with correction | The live ITG page now states employed applicants must earn under $91,000—not the $63,928 figure in earlier research. ITGs cover approved tuition, registration, testing and books for short noncredit programs and are highly selective. The separate Access Training page still uses $63,925 for its general employed-applicant rule. | [1](https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/careers/training-grants.page)<br>[2](https://www.nyc.gov/site/sbs/careers/access-training.page) |
| 23 | SUNY Workforce Development credentials | verified with correction | SUNY offers hundreds of microcredentials and workforce courses, but cost and employer connection vary. Current funding paths include Part-Time TAP for eligible nondegree credentials and Workforce Pell for qualifying 8–14 week programs beginning July 1, 2026. | [1](https://www.suny.edu/workforcedevelopment/)<br>[2](https://www.suny.edu/workforcedevelopment/pell/)<br>[3](https://www.suny.edu/attend/find-a-suny-program/tap-programs/) |
| 24 | Career Readiness and Modern Youth Apprenticeship (CRMYA) | verified with correction | The broad CareerReady NYC framework was replaced with the concrete CRMYA opportunity. At participating schools, students prepare and apply for paid two- to three-year apprenticeships; selection and school participation are required. | [1](https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/student-journey/career-connected-learning/career-readiness-and-modern-youth-apprenticeship)<br>[2](https://www.nyc.gov/employment/programs/career-readiness-and-modern-youth-apprenticeship-crmya) |
| 25 | CUNY adult literacy and HSE | verified current | CUNY confirms free Fall 2026 ESOL, pre-HSE and HSE classes at 14 campuses, primarily in person. Campus assessment, schedules and seat availability apply. | [1](https://www.cuny.edu/academics/academic-programs/model-programs/cuny-college-transition-programs/adult-literacy/) |
| 26 | Co-op Tech | verified with correction | NYC Public Schools describes Co-op Tech as half-day CTE training for students enrolled in another DOE program or people who already graduated with a diploma/equivalency. The card was narrowed because it is not an unrestricted public trade school for all adults. | [1](https://www.schools.nyc.gov/redirect/district-79) |
| 27 | NYS Office for New Americans Opportunity Centers — ESOL | verified with correction | Corrected the source and program identity: this is the NYS Office for New Americans Opportunity Centers–ESOL network, not SUNY EOCs. Official pages support free English instruction with a workforce-development component and local referrals. | [1](https://dos.ny.gov/node/47376)<br>[2](https://dos.ny.gov/workforce-development)<br>[3](https://dos.ny.gov/office-new-americans) |

## Publication rule

Job and training listings are unusually time-sensitive. A real program may have no open cohort, and a current recruitment may close after only a few days. Wage figures must be tied to a dated official notice. “Employer connections,” “direct entry,” “placement support,” and “apprenticeship preparation” must never be presented as guaranteed hiring.

Phase 6 will audit all 30 cross-category “Did You Know?” tips, reconcile any duplicate claims across categories, and produce the final launch-status summary for all 142 rows.