Tech:NYC Digest: April 27

Tech:NYC Digest: April 27

April 27, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Wednesday, April 27, 2022 

In today’s digest, NY Court of Appeals strikes down redistricting maps, Adams launches centers for New Yorkers struggling with long COVID, and why nontraditional candidates are the future of the tech talent race.

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By the numbers:  

  • New positive cases statewide: 7,693      

    • New positive cases, NYC: 2,242

  • NYC Positivity Rate: 4.5 percent (-0.4 percent)

  • Statewide Vaccine Progress: 

    • New Yorkers with at least one dose: 90.1 percent

    • New Yorkers who are fully vaccinated: 76.8 percent

In today’s latest:

  • The New York Court of Appeals today ruled that the new state Senate and congressional maps were unconstitutional, stating that new maps will need to be drawn for the 2022 midterm elections. (New York Times)

    • The ruling from the state’s highest court is final, but several questions remain as to whether the primary elections for state Senate and congressional districts will be postponed to allow for new redistricting efforts compliant with state law. 

  • Mayor Adams and NYC Health+Hospitals have launched three COVID-19 “Centers of Excellence,” focused on helping New Yorkers struggling with long COVID and living in the areas hardest-hit by the pandemic. (NBC New York)

  • Pfizer has asked the FDA to authorize a third dose of its COVID vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. (CNBC) The FDA has still not yet cleared a coronavirus vaccine for children under 5 due to application review delays. (New York Times)

  • The CDC estimates nearly 60 percent of Americans, including 75 percent of children, had been infected with the coronavirus as of this February. (New York Daily News)

  • And a tip to frequent flyers: the Q70 bus to LaGuardia Airport will be free beginning May 1.

In other reading:

  • Can we trust rapid COVID tests against BA.2? This is what the experts say (NPR)

  • This Harlem Bakery Just Established the First-Ever National Rugelach Day (New York Magazine)

  • Don’t freak out: A cannabis guide for new, inexperienced or returning users (Gothamist)

As the labor market reorganizes, more Americans are setting their sights on transitioning from blue-collar hourly jobs to "new collar" positions, many of which require tech skills and offer better pay and schedules. (Wall Street Journal)

  • An Oliver Wyman survey of 80,000 workers found that over 10 percent of Americans in low-paying, blue-collar jobs made such a switch in the last two years. Many of the new jobs are in software and information technology, as well as in logistics, finance, and healthcare.

Over the last two years, the number of tech job postings has increased during the Great Resignation, and the imbalance has caused difficulties for companies to hire the talent they needed, prompting many to drop pre-qualifications such as prior work experience or a four-year college degree.

  • As many as 32 million Americans lack a four-year college degree but have the skills or experience to obtain higher-income jobs, according to a 2022 study by Opportunity@Work. 

  • And more companies are building their own internal programs to provide relatively nontraditional hires with skills training in coding, cybersecurity, and healthcare technology to fill positions. 

But while many tech companies say they’re loosening up on degree requirements, it’s easier said than done. A Harvard Business School analysis of IT job postings from 2017 to 2021 found some of the biggest tech firms still demanded degrees for upwards of 70 percent of jobs. 

Our takeaway: With so many people quitting their jobs and searching for new ones, rethinking your job requirements and being open to candidates from nontraditional backgrounds is one of the best ways to access a new talent pool in a tight labor market.

In other reading:

  • Tech leaders weigh in: what’s missing from your DEI training? (Protocol)

  • How the best companies to work for are thriving despite the Great Resignation (Fortune)

  • How the Great Resignation is turning into a great opportunity for leaders (Fast Company)

  • Fancurve, a NYC-based blockchain-enabled digital sports fashion company, raised $6.25 million in seed funding. Greenfield One led the round and was joined by Shima Capital, 6th Man Ventures, OneFootball, Reverb Ventures, Valhalla Capital, and a group of individuals.

Firefly Innovations, in partnership with the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, is accepting applications for its 2022 Public Health Accelerator. The accelerator is an eight-week, all-online program for teams with at least an initial prototype that are looking to move to the next stage of its product. Learn more and apply by May 27 here.Newlab, in collaboration with NYCEDC and ConEdison, is seeking applicants for the next cohort of its Resilient Energy Studio. Early-stage hardware and software companies with energy storage concepts will get the opportunity to test their technologies in real-world urban environments. Join the info session on May 3rd here and apply by June 1 here.Andreessen Horowitz is accepting applications for its a16z START Program. The program is open to founders in the earliest stages of company formation in fintech, consumer, enterprise, gaming, and other verticals. The program invests up to $1 million and provides a network of other resources and support. Learn more and apply here.

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