Latest Loretto LPN apprenticeship program class graduates

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SYRACUSE — Loretto describes its licensed practical nurse (LPN) apprenticeship program as “the first federally recognized LPN apprenticeship in the nation.” Loretto and leaders of the 1199SEIU union on Aug. 23 honored the program’s most recent graduates. Loretto’s LPN apprenticeship program resulted from a “successful labor-management partnership” between Loretto, the fourth largest health-care provider in […]

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SYRACUSE — Loretto describes its licensed practical nurse (LPN) apprenticeship program as “the first federally recognized LPN apprenticeship in the nation.”

Loretto and leaders of the 1199SEIU union on Aug. 23 honored the program’s most recent graduates.

Loretto’s LPN apprenticeship program resulted from a “successful labor-management partnership” between Loretto, the fourth largest health-care provider in Central New York, and 1199SEIU, the largest health-care workers union in the U.S., per the Loretto announcement

They developed the program to help frontline workers “overcome the barriers of cost and accessibility to higher education” by offering paid on-the-job training, free tuition, mentorship, and guaranteed employment.

“This program allows our students to continue to earn money for their families as full-time Loretto employees while furthering their education to advance their healthcare career,” Johaun Jackson, director of nurse education at Loretto, said in a statement.” Many people can’t afford to go back to school full-time or reduce their schedule to even go part-time because they need to provide for their families; this program invites them to do both and guarantees employment to all graduates.”

Since the LPN apprenticeship program began in 2018, a total of 49 people have graduated from the 11-month program, which has a 96 percent pass rate for the New York State licensing exam (NCLEX). The initiative is funded by the Loretto Corporation, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, and the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund, which invests more than $65,000 in tuition, wages, and benefits for each student.

Kevin Lockhart, VP of 1199SEIU, said it’s that collaboration that makes the program so successful.

“I am excited about the partnership between 1199SEIU and Loretto. Our shared vision and commitment to excellence in education, has allowed us to establish the nation’s first LPN Apprenticeship Program,” Lockhart said. “With this program we are able to address a real workplace need, and also create a pathway for continued education and higher skilled level jobs for our members.”

Program specifics

The LPN Apprenticeship Program incorporates the classroom learning and skill development required to become a licensed practical nurse with the “clinical support and mentorship they need to be successful in the role,” Loretto said. All Loretto clinical and non-clinical union employees can apply to the program when they meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in the collective-bargaining agreement during the annual enrollment period.

Candidates interested in the apprenticeship program must have one year of Loretto experience at the time of program selection and have letters of support from their managers. All prospective students must participate in an interview process by a selection committee that includes Loretto administrators and 1199SEIU union representatives to “ensure they are prepared for the rigor and commitment to the program.”

The program has graduated candidates who started careers at Loretto in food service, housekeeping, and frontline clinical roles, such as certified nurse aides (CNA) and certified home health aides (CHHA).

As the fourth-largest health-care provider in the region, Loretto employs 2,400 people at its 19 programs and facilities delivering care to more than 10,000 people of all ages, income levels, and care needs in Onondaga and Cayuga counties each year, the organization said.

State Labor Department Releases Preliminary July 2024 Area Unemp

Unemployment rises across CNY regions in July 2024

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, Ithaca, and Elmira regions all increased in July compared to a year ago, a sign of some softening in the labor market. The figures are part of the latest New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) data released on Aug. 20. Regional unemployment rates The jobless rate

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SUNY Oswego’s OWIER names first director of workforce innovation

Education & Training, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

OSWEGO — SUNY Oswego’s Office of Workforce Innovation and External Relations (OWIER) has named Kathryn Watson as its inaugural director of workforce innovation and community impact. SUNY Oswego President Peter Nwosu launched the school’s OWIER in the fall of 2023, The OWIER provides a designated point of entry into SUNY Oswego for industry, nonprofit, public,

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OSWEGO — SUNY Oswego’s Office of Workforce Innovation and External Relations (OWIER) has named Kathryn Watson as its inaugural director of workforce innovation and community impact.

SUNY Oswego President Peter Nwosu launched the school’s OWIER in the fall of 2023,

The OWIER provides a designated point of entry into SUNY Oswego for industry, nonprofit, public, private, and community partners to “connect with institutional assets,” per the Aug. 14 announcement.

The OWIER says staff members identify and “form mutually beneficial partnerships” with the Central New York area to “generate economic and social benefits” for the region. Those benefits “align with the priorities and vision of SUNY Oswego and with the mission to contribute to the common good while advancing SUNY Oswego’s institutional-wide priorities and goals,” the school said.

Watson will report directly to Kristi Eck, assistant VP for workforce innovation and external relations at SUNY Oswego and a member of the president’s cabinet. Watson’s work focuses on helping the school advance grant applications that “align with immediate institutional and workforce-innovation priorities.”

At the same time, she’ll work at providing timely and necessary programming to support workforce innovation and upskilling demands. Watson will also focus on connecting the greater community with SUNY Oswego employees and students related to these areas of focus, per the university’s announcement.

“We are thrilled to have Kathryn join our team at SUNY Oswego and within the OWIER,” Eck said in the school’s announcement. “Kathryn has an exemplary and established leadership record in our community and a proven ability to identify and unite partners around achieving a shared goal and desired impact. Kathryn will be a great addition to the OWIER team. I cannot wait to work with her.”

Within her responsibilities as director of workforce innovation and community impact, Watson will serve as the project director for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Oswego County and as SUNY Oswego’s Instructor Bootcamp project coordinator.

Before joining SUNY Oswego’s OWIER, Watson served as the executive director of the Children’s Museum of Oswego from 2019-2024. She and her team at the museum started dozens of museum initiatives with businesses, nonprofits, and organizations in the region, SUNY Oswego said.

Watson is a member of the advisory council for the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce and served as the keynote speaker for the chamber’s annual meeting in January 2022. Watson also sits on the Oswego County Tourism Advisory Council and the Pre-K through 16 Micron Steering Committee, SUNY Oswego said.

DFS adopts insurance guidance to combat discrimination in artificial intelligence

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Insurance & Financial Services, Subscriber Only

ALBANY — It was a step meant to protect consumers from unfair or unlawful discrimination by insurers using artificial intelligence (AI). The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), a financial regulatory agency, a few months ago adopted guidance focused on the topic. “New York has a strong track record of supporting responsible innovation

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ALBANY — It was a step meant to protect consumers from unfair or unlawful discrimination by insurers using artificial intelligence (AI).

The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), a financial regulatory agency, a few months ago adopted guidance focused on the topic.

“New York has a strong track record of supporting responsible innovation while protecting consumers from financial harm,” Adrienne Harris, DFS superintendent, said in the July 11 announcement. “[The] guidance builds on that legacy, ensuring that the implementation of AI in insurance does not perpetuate or amplify systemic biases that have resulted in unlawful or unfair discrimination, while safeguarding the stability of the marketplace.”

The use of external consumer data and information sources (ECDIS) and artificial intelligence systems (AIS) can benefit insurers and consumers by simplifying and expediting insurance underwriting and pricing processes. However, it is important that insurers who use such technologies establish a proper governance and risk-management framework to mitigate the potential harm to consumers, the DFS said.

The guidance outlines DFS’s expectations for how all insurers authorized to write insurance in New York state develop and manage the integration of ECDIS, AIS, and other predictive models.

As outlined in the DFS guidance, insurers are expected to analyze ECDIS and AIS for unfair and unlawful discrimination, as defined in state and federal laws. They’re also expected to demonstrate the actuarial validity of ECDIS and AIS.

In addition, insurers are required to maintain a corporate-governance framework that provides “appropriate oversight” of the insurer’s overall outcome of the use of ECDIS and AIS.

DFS also expects insurers to maintain appropriate transparency, risk management, and internal controls, including over third-party vendors and consumer disclosures.

DFS says it has finalized the guidance after considering the feedback it received from companies it regulates and other key stakeholders, including trade associations, advisory firms, universities, and the broader public.

EBRI issues research findings on 401(k) plan account balances, allocations

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

Researchers with the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) on Aug. 27 reported their findings from an analysis of 401(k) plan participants drawn from the EBRI /ICI 401 (k) database. The analysis focused on the 2.1 million consistent participants in the database over the six-year period from year-end 2016 to year-end 2022, per the EBRI Issue

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Researchers with the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) on Aug. 27 reported their findings from an analysis of 401(k) plan participants drawn from the EBRI /ICI 401 (k) database.

The analysis focused on the 2.1 million consistent participants in the database over the six-year period from year-end 2016 to year-end 2022, per the EBRI Issue Brief. The brief was authored by EBRI’s Sarah Holden, Steven Bass, and Craig Copeland.

ICI is short for Investment Company Institute, which has an office in Washington, D.C., where EBRI is headquartered.

Findings

The average 401(k) plan account balance for consistent participants rose each year from year-end 2016 through year-end 2021 before falling in 2022 alongside stock and bond market declines.

Overall, the average account balance increased at a compound annual average growth rate of 13.8 percent from 2016 to 2022, rising from $70,664 to $153,680 at year-end 2022. The median 401(k) plan account balance for consistent participants followed a similar pattern and increased at a compound annual average growth rate of 20.8 percent over the period, to $68,080 at year-end 2022.

Younger 401(k) participants — or those with smaller year-end 2016 balances — had higher percentage growth in account balances compared with older participants, or those with larger year-end 2016 balances.

Three primary factors affect account balances: contributions, investment returns, and withdrawal and loan activity, according to EBRI. The percentage change in average 401(k) plan account balance of participants in their 20s was “heavily influenced” by the relative size of their contributions to their account balances and increased at a compound average growth rate of 48.6 percent per year between year-end 2016 and year-end 2022.

The research found that 401(k) participants tend to concentrate their accounts in equity securities.

The asset allocation of the 2.1 million 401(k) plan participants in the consistent group was “broadly similar” to the asset allocation seen in the annual EBRI/ICI 401(k) database updates. On average, at year-end 2022, about 70 percent of consistent 401(k) participants’ assets were invested in equities — through stock funds, the equity portion of target-date funds, the equity portion of non–target date balanced funds, or company stock.

Younger 401(k) participants not surprisingly tend to have higher concentrations in equities than older 401(k) participants, EBRI’s analysis found.

Consistent 401(k) participants’ exposure to equities was “relatively unchanged” between year-end 2016 and year-end 2022.

At year-end 2016, 92.8 percent of consistent 401(k) plan participants held some equities (equity funds, target-date funds, non–target date balanced funds, or company stock). This was “little changed” at year-end 2022, with 94.8 percent of consistent 401(k) plan participants holding equities.

Consistent 401(k) participants increased their exposure to target-date funds between year-end 2016 and year-end 2022.

At year-end 2016, 55.3 percent of consistent 401(k) participants held at least some target-date fund investments in their 401(k) accounts, and that share increased to 60 percent at year-end 2022. The net movement toward target-date fund use over the period occurred among consistent 401(k) participants in all age groups. Participants in their 20s had the highest use of target-date funds in both periods but had the smallest net change.

Most consistent 401(k) participants who were fully invested in target-date funds at year-end 2016 remained fully invested in target-date funds at year-end 2022.

Among consistent 401(k) plan participants who were fully invested in target-date funds at year-end 2016, nearly 90 percent were fully invested in target-date funds at year-end 2022. This high level of persistence in target-date fund investing was observed across all participant age groups.

Recent grads connect with area job openings through CAI

Education & Training, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The human-resources manager at American Food & Vending in Salina, calls the Career Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI) “an awesome initiative.” “We hired a graduate last year who is now a full-time employee of ours,” Ian Ballard said in a CenterState CEO announcement. “If it wasn’t for the Initiative, this is an individual who we

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SYRACUSE — The human-resources manager at American Food & Vending in Salina, calls the Career Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI) “an awesome initiative.”

“We hired a graduate last year who is now a full-time employee of ours,” Ian Ballard said in a CenterState CEO announcement. “If it wasn’t for the Initiative, this is an individual who we might have missed had he come through our normal hiring process, and we would have missed a great talent.”

American Food & Vending participated in the previous round of the CAI, CenterState CEO noted.

CAI is a program that connects recent liberal-arts graduates from the area’s higher-education institutions to a one-year apprenticeship with area employers. Under the initiative, employers agree to hire, mentor, and train the student for a year and receive a $5,000 salary reimbursement for doing so. CenterState CEO members that provided entry-level jobs for graduates this year are Crouse Health, LOTTE Biologics, Syracuse Housing Authority, and SUNY Upstate Medical University.

The CAI program in Syracuse was modeled on a similar initiative that has operated successfully in Canada for several years. The Syracuse program was the CAI’s first U.S. pilot.

The Collegian Hotel in Syracuse hosted an Aug. 27 event to acknowledge recent graduates starting new positions with participating employers. Those attending the event included representatives from CenterState CEO; Alan Rottenberg, founder of the Canadian Career Apprenticeship Initiative; Donna Gillespie, CEO of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO); representatives of Syracuse University, SUNY Oswego, and Le Moyne College; as well as area employers and recent college graduates.

“We imagined our youth, upon graduating from university, launching their careers immediately with full time employment — not in unskilled jobs or living in their parents’ basement. Syracuse, like other communities running the apprenticeship program, has made the imagined real,” Rottenberg said in the CenterState CEO announcement.

Besides Rottenberg, the event included remarks from Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO and Kristi Eck, assistant VP for workforce innovation and external relations at SUNY Oswego.

“Our region is on a path to new growth. With Micron and its suppliers soon joining our community, it’s more important than ever to look at creative solutions to attracting and retaining talent in Central New York. This includes exposing those who come from across the globe to attend college in this region to significant employment opportunities here,” Simpson said in the release. “We commend the employers that participated in this pilot program to help meet their talent needs while also providing valuable first-time employment opportunities for recent graduates.”

The program is an outgrowth of the relationship between Central New York and Kingston, Ontario, known as the Kingston-Syracuse Pathway. The partners in the program include CenterState CEO, KEDCO, SUNY Upstate Medical University, the Kingston Health Sciences Center, and Queen’s University.

The pathway started around “common interests,” such as cross-border medical research, and broadened into other areas, such as providing “soft landings” for businesses from either country.

Gillespie, who has run the program successfully in Kingston for several years, brought the idea for the apprenticeship initiative to CenterState CEO. The CenterState CEO Foundation, a nonprofit affiliate of CenterState CEO, oversees the apprenticeship program.

State pension fund posts nearly 1.4 percent return in fiscal quarter

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

ALBANY — The New York State Common Retirement Fund generated a return of 1.38 percent for the state fiscal first quarter ending June 30, 2024. That’s according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who also reported that the fund closed the quarter with an estimated value of $267.7 billion, the same value as three

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Workforce Development Board offers training program for renewable-energy jobs

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Mohawk Valley

UTICA, N.Y. — The Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Oneida, and Madison Counties, Inc., recently announced its new Building Pathways to the Infrastructure Careers grant

Griffiss Institute names VP of intergovernmental affairs

Education & Training, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

ROME — The Griffiss Institute recently appointed Angela Wright as its new VP of intergovernmental affairs. The organization said this strategic addition to its team is part of its continued efforts to expand the VICEROY Scholars program. “Angela’s proven track record in government relations and advocacy will be invaluable as we strengthen our strategic partnerships

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ROME — The Griffiss Institute recently appointed Angela Wright as its new VP of intergovernmental affairs.

The organization said this strategic addition to its team is part of its continued efforts to expand the VICEROY Scholars program.

“Angela’s proven track record in government relations and advocacy will be invaluable as we strengthen our strategic partnerships and expand the reach of our VICEROY Scholars program,” Heather Hage, president and CEO of the Griffiss Institute, said in an Aug. 28 news release. “Angela will add significant capacity to the existing VICEROY team, supporting the program’s sustainment while maximizing outcomes through the cultivation of champions within our university partners and with key governmental stakeholders.”

Wright brings a “distinguished background in government relations,” having most recently served as associate vice chancellor for government relations at the State University of New York (SUNY). With extensive experience in managing state and federal relations, she has successfully implemented advocacy campaigns, coordinated legislative efforts, and engaged with key stakeholders to promote educational initiatives across SUNY’s 64 campuses, the Griffiss Institute contended. Her expertise in distilling complex information into persuasive messages and her ability to build strong relationships with legislators and community leaders make her “an ideal fit for this role,” it added.

Her career at SUNY includes notable achievements, such as leading advocacy days in Washington, D.C., overseeing federal research priorities, and managing responses to legislative inquiries. Her efforts have significantly impacted higher-education policy and funding, enhancing SUNY’s research porZolio and fostering collaboration across campuses. Additionally, Wright’s work with the Research Foundation for SUNY has established her as “a key player in driving strategic growth and innovation,” the Griffiss Institute said.

Wright holds an associate degree in agricultural science from SUNY Cobleskill and a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and management and a master’s degree in professional studies, both from the College of Agriculture and Life Science at Cornell University.

Utica University names VP for enrollment management

Education & Training, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

UTICA — Utica University recently appointed W. Eric Sykes as its new VP for enrollment management, following a comprehensive national search. “To land a remarkable thought-leader and practitioner in the enrollment management field such as Eric is a testament to his abilities as well as the opportunities Utica University presents,” Utica University President Todd Pfannestiel

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