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Civil service—s New York HELPS, testing centers and apprenticeships central to recruitment push
Summary
At the budget hearing, the Department of Civil Service described expansion of the New York HELPS hiring program, plans for computer‑based testing centers, and a $10 million apprenticeship boost in the governor—s budget; officials and legislators discussed retention, promotion exams and promotional pipelines.
Timothy Hoag, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Civil Service, told the joint hearing that the New York HELPS program has produced roughly 24,000 appointments at the state level and nearly 6,000 at local governments since its launch and extension, and that the department asked the Civil Service Commission to extend the program through June 2026. "The message has been simple and clear. It is easier than ever to get a job with New York State," Commissioner Hoag said.
Hoag said the department is deploying computer‑based testing centers, planning nine centers this calendar year and 12 by the end of 2026, to expand access and to increase the frequency of promotional examinations. He also described a funded total compensation study to modernize pay structures and a new jobs portal to streamline hiring.
Apprenticeships and training: Department of Labor testimony detailed the governor—s request for $10,000,000 to expand registered apprenticeships and an additional $8,000,000 for targeted training in high‑demand fields such as AI, cybersecurity and manufacturing. Workforce advocates and the Manufacturers Association of New York testified in favor of continuing and expanding registered apprenticeship models and pre‑apprenticeship initiatives that connect underrepresented populations to career pipelines.
Retention and promotion concerns: Legislators repeatedly pressed for timelines and remedies for long‑delayed promotional exams. Commissioner Hoag acknowledged that promotional exam availability had fallen behind but said the testing centers and the department—s transformation will address bottlenecks. He also said the department is studying pay equity and will propose changes to make pay competitive with private and other public employers.
Ending: The hearing left civil service modernization and apprenticeship investments as near‑term, actionable budget items: the HELPS extension, the testing center rollout, and the apprenticeship funding all appeared to have bipartisan interest, while retention through promotional exam backlogs remained an outstanding implementation challenge.
