Central New York’s job growth is the strongest in decades. In October, year-over-year job growth in Syracuse was nearly 2 percent, compared to 0.4 percent growth in the combined regions of Albany, Rochester, and Buffalo. While this job growth is an important indicator of the strength of our regional economy, it also drives talent challenges […]
Central New York’s job growth is the strongest in decades. In October, year-over-year job growth in Syracuse was nearly 2 percent, compared to 0.4 percent growth in the combined regions of Albany, Rochester, and Buffalo. While this job growth is an important indicator of the strength of our regional economy, it also drives talent challenges for many area employers. In response, CenterState CEO has targeted efforts to attract talent through programs like the Good Life CNY, and connect unemployed or underemployed individuals with career opportunities through Work Train.
It is not an accident that the fastest growing sectors of our economy — construction, health care, and manufacturing — also align with our workforce-development efforts. Currently, we are working with 53 employer partners across these key industries to place graduates from Work Train into career pathways. Employees gain the preparation they need to succeed, while employers get access to qualified workers, ultimately contributing to employer stability. Since 2014, nearly 1,000 people have been placed in jobs through Work Train. As of September, nearly 150 people have been placed at employers including, Loretto, Raymond Corporation, ICM, and HP Mile.
In the coming year, we will continue to expand and strengthen these efforts, establishing new partnerships and programs in other high-growth industries. Through our work with JPMC AdvancingCities and other grants, we have identified opportunities to create work-readiness programs for tech-related careers, including digital customer service.
Starting in January, as part of a larger Syracuse Build initiative, Work Train, Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center (SUNY EOC), and the City of Syracuse began partnering with Home Leasing of Rochester to support their conversion of the historic St. Antony’s school, located in Syracuse’s South East Gateway, into 54 senior housing units. Along with CNY Works and neighborhood partners, this team will work to ensure there is a pool of job-ready candidates from within the community to staff this project.
As Central New York’s economy continues to grow, we are committed to ensuring this progress reaches all in our community. We encourage our members to connect with us to discuss their individual workforce needs so we can continue to convene partners around solutions that create access to good jobs for members of the community. To learn more about the program, contact Alissa Tubbs, Work Train strategic operations manager, at atubbs@centerstateceo.com
Robert M. (Rob) Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This viewpoint is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on Dec. 19.