FuzeHub to hold solutions forum for manufacturers in Utica

UTICA, N.Y. — FuzeHub will hold what it calls a solutions forum on Tuesday in Utica that seeks to address manufacturing-employment issues in the Mohawk Valley.

The forum will include panel discussions and keynote speakers, and give manufacturing representatives the chance to meet with workforce-development experts to identify different methods for growing and training their workforce, FuzeHub said in a news release.

The event starts at 1:30 p.m. and continues until 7 p.m. at the Delta Hotel by Marriott at 200 Genesee St. in Utica.

It includes panel discussions on workforce best practices. The forum’s keynote speakers include David Dussault, CEO of Schenectady–based P1 Holdings, Inc., and Denise Ball, workforce-development specialist for Cleveland, Ohio–based Tooling U-SME, an online manufacturing training and education provider.

Attendees will also have the chance to meet with workforce resources and experts on site during the exhibitors showcase, FuzeHub said.

Those interested can register at the FuzeHub website.

Albany–based FuzeHub is a nonprofit that “connects New York’s small and mid-sized manufacturing companies to the resources, programs and expertise they need for technology commercialization, innovation, and business growth,” per its news release. FuzeHub is the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program center, supported by Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation.

FuzeHub cites data from the Washington, D.C.–based National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) that indicates about 80 percent of manufacturers report a shortage of qualified applicants for skilled production positions. The NAM data also indicates that, over the next decade, about 2 million manufacturing jobs, nationally, are expected to go unfilled due to a lack of certain skills among the workforce.

“Without enough highly skilled workers, some manufacturers may struggle to reach their full potential,” Elena Garuc, executive director of FuzeHub, said in the nonprofit’s release. “Our solutions forum aims to address any workforce-related challenges facing Mohawk Valley manufacturers by matching them to the resources and support they need to meet their workforce needs, whether it’s upskilling their existing staff or recruiting new talent.” 

As the statewide NY MEP center, FuzeHub is partnering with its regional MEP counterpart, the Advanced Institute for Manufacturing at Mohawk Valley Community College (AIM at MVCC), as well as Mohawk Valley Edge, Working Solutions, and MVCC to host the solutions forum.

In addition to helping local manufacturers, the forum will “spotlight major issues” facing New York’s workforce and explain how key partners, such as MVCC, are training new workers to meet the needs of the regional manufacturing industry.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com