Civil Service officials defend New York HELPS, testing centers and apprenticeship funding at budget hearing

The Department of Civil Service and Office of Employee Relations told the joint fiscal committees that their priority is to modernize hiring and expand recruitment pathways into state jobs, especially while vacancies remain elevated.

Key points from testimony: Commissioner Timothy Hodes described New York HELPS, a temporary program that waives entrance exam requirements for many entry-level positions; he said the program produced roughly 24,000 appointments at the state level and nearly 6,000 at local agencies since its launch and extension. Hodes also described a plan for new computer-based testing centers: nine centers targeted for the current calendar year and twelve by the end of FY26 to increase access to promotional and entry exams.

Director Michael Valforti said the governor27s budget proposal also supports workforce retention through negotiated pay increases in recent contracts, paid parental leave, and expanded tuition reimbursement limits that help recruit and retain employees. Both officials noted apprenticeship and training investment: the governor proposed $10 million for registered apprenticeship expansion and $8 million for industry training in areas like AI, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing.

Questions and concerns: Lawmakers and union witnesses pressed on retention, promotion exam backlogs and whether waiving exams undermines merit hiring; civil service officials said HELPS is a stopgap while the department transforms exam delivery and modernizes classification and pay structures. Lawmakers also flagged the need to resume longstanding promotional exams and asked for progress reports on the total-compensation study the department launched.

Next steps: The committee asked for updates on the testing-center roll out, apprenticeship uptake and data on whether new hires stay in state service after appointments under HELPS.