Founded in 2006 in collaboration with Community Board 3, LESEN’s purpose was to initially support the economic development surrounding the then-new Essex Crossing complex.

The idea: Establish a network of select Lower Manhattan workforce development centers to create a pipeline of local, certified, job-ready talent for new and existing employers.

LESEN develops relationships with training and employer partners to provide career-driven courses. Training opportunities - including IT, cybersecurity, healthcare, construction, culinary arts, and more - are selected based on job-seeker and employment trends, with many courses resulting in licensure or certification upon completion.

LESEN liaises with responsible employers who are looking to hire local, skilled job-seekers for quality, long-term careers. We work closely with hiring managers and business owners to identify role requirements while our network partners ensure that all talent has access to support services whenever needed.

Our candidate pool is filled with vetted talent whose hard and soft skills have been thoughtfully refined through skills development and continuing education. All job-seekers from the network are supported with pre and post-employment services - including resume development, language acquisition courses, and relevant industry licensure and/or certifications - all provided by our stellar network partners.