Students from 140 public high schools visit leading NYC employers for immersive career exploration
New York City Public Schools and the Partnership for New York City are hosting the city’s fourth annual Career Discovery Week, an initiative that brings 3,700 high school students from over 140 public schools into many of New York City’s leading employers for exciting hands-on career exploration.
From April 3 through 10, more than 140 employers from a broad cross-section of New York City’s diverse and dynamic industry base in the public and private sector—financial services, transportation, technology, media, aviation, consumer goods, real estate, health care, government, and entertainment—will open their doors to students to explore various professions through immersive, day-long visits. The visits feature executive-led career panels, workplace tours, interactive tech demos, group challenges, and more.
Career Discovery Week is a core component of FutureReadyNYC and provides career exposure opportunities to Career and Technical Education students. FutureReadyNYC is a New York City Public Schools initiative focused on career-connected learning that provides work-based learning opportunities, career exploration, early college credits and credentials and personalized college and career advising throughout a student’s high school experience. It is anchored by six career pathways: business, education, health care, technology, social and human services and green career pathways.
Career Discovery Week activities include:
- Kyndryl (April 3, 2025) – Students will develop professional skills like creating personal narrative pitches and exploring storytelling techniques for social media, and also learn about the spectrum of career paths within the organization.
- Paramount (April 3, 2025) – Students will participate in a mobile phone filmmaking workshop and storyboarding activity, along with a career path panel and tours of the Paramount offices.
- Amazon (April 4, 2025) – Students will participate in a speed networking activity, followed by workplace tours and an AI resume-building workshop.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Tuesday, April 8) – Students will be introduced to laboratory medicine through interactive activities, followed by career roundtables with nursing and radiology professionals.
- Pfizer (Tuesday, April 8) – Students will learn about scientific topics offered at Pfizer School of Science, tour the office, and meet colleagues from across the company during a career exploration conversation.
- Tapestry (Wednesday, April 9) – Students will tour the Hudson Yards Workshop and Atelier, learn about career paths across the organization, and participate in an interactive activity to map out their future careers.
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Thursday, April 10) – Students will participate in interactive career panels with employees from Metro North Railroad, NYC Transit, LIRR, and MTA Police Department, followed by a tour of Grand Central Terminal and a Canine Unit demonstration by the MTA Police Department.
More employers are participating in this year’s Career Discovery Week than in any previous year. A full list of participating employers is available here.
Schools have been matched with public and private sector employers based on alignment between curricula focus and company sector. For example, students from High School of Computers and Technology will visit American Express, and students from Thomas Edison Career and Technical Education High School will visit New York City Transit.
“We want Career Discovery Week to give students a clear sense of the exciting careers they can pursue,” said Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City. “As the world of work continues to evolve, it’s essential that the next generation has the skills, training, and opportunities they need to succeed. I’m grateful to the member companies participating in this event who are providing students with a chance to explore the wide range of career options available in our city.”
“Career Discovery Week is about opening doors and expanding horizons for our students,” said New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “When a young person steps into a boardroom, a lab, an airplane hangar, or a newsroom and sees the energy, innovation, and purpose behind the work, it can spark something life changing. This week isn’t just about career exploration— it’s about igniting dreams and showing our students that they belong in every space this city has to offer.”
“As a company founded in Brooklyn over 175 years ago, Pfizer is proud to participate in Career Discovery Week as part of our commitment to New York City and science education,” said Partnership for New York City Co-Chair Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer. “The program awakens students to the endless possibilities they can achieve in their future careers and provides colleagues with the opportunity to help bridge the gap between industry and education.”
“As business leaders, it is our job to inspire and empower the next generation of New Yorkers,” said Partnership for New York City Co-Chair Rob Speyer, CEO of Tishman Speyer. “We are proud to once again be a part of this transformative initiative that opens doors for young people.”
“When Kyndryl was founded three years ago, we made a commitment on day one to grow and foster talent in the communities where we live and work,” said Amy Salcido, President, Kyndryl U.S. “We strive to be a positive force in helping aspiring individuals forge pathways to thriving careers, and that starts with investing in awareness, learning and skilling opportunities for the next generation of leaders.”
By the end of this year’s Career Discovery Week, more than 11,000 students will have participated in the program during its first four years.
FutureReadyNYC currently serves 15,000 students in 135 New York City Public Schools. The goal is to expand the initiative to 100,000 students by 2030, equipping them with early college credits and credentials, industry aligned curriculum and work-based learning opportunities to succeed in high-growth, in-demand careers.
About Career Discovery Week
Career Discovery Week is a collaborative initiative that brings together the city’s leading businesses, professional firms, and nonprofits to help high school students take the first step toward building a career path. Launched in 2020 by the Partnership for New York City and New York City Public Schools, this program offers students hands-on career exploration at some of the city’s most vibrant and impactful workplaces. To date, over 200 major employers and 11,000 public high school students have participated in the program, creating a bridge between the classroom and the workforce.
About the Partnership for New York City
The Partnership for New York City represents the city’s business leaders and largest employers. We work with government, labor, and the nonprofit sector to promote economic growth and maintain the city’s prominence as a global center of economic opportunity, upward mobility, and innovation. The Partnership Fund for New York City contributes directly to projects that create jobs, improve economically distressed communities, and stimulate new business creation. Visit pfnyc.org to learn more.
About New York City Public Schools
New York City Public Schools is a testament to the history and impact of urban education in the United States. With over 1,600 schools spread across five boroughs, the system is made up of approximately 1.1 million students and staff, making it the largest public school system in the nation. These schools employ more than 75,000 teachers who deliver a rich tapestry of educational experiences to a student body that reflects the city’s vibrant and diverse cultural heritage. This network of educational institutions represents not just the scale of New York City’s commitment to public education, but also its dedication to fostering a learning environment that is as dynamic and diverse as the city itself.