Established in 2006 and composed of several Lower East Side nonprofits along with Community Board 3, the Lower East Side Employment Network - LESEN - successfully created a single point of access for myriad businesses and economic development stakeholders while at the same time exponentially improving employment outcomes for low‐income NYC jobseekers.

By working cooperatively rather than competing, LESEN members accelerate their impact on underserved workers and increase their capacity to meet the hiring needs of large‐scale economic development projects.

Over the years, LESEN has built strong partnerships with developers, employers, and community stakeholders, and has secured hiring MOUs with major Lower Manhattan developments such as Essex Crossing, South Street Seaport, and Hotel Indigo, placing over one thousand individuals in positions created by local economic development.

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.