SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE NEARLY $3 MILLION FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD OF HERKIMER, MADISON AND ONEIDA TO CREATE A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND JOB TRAINING & APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM TO GIVE CENTRAL NEW YORK AND MOHAWK VALLEY RESIDENTS THE TOOLS THEY NEED FOR GOOD JOBS IN HIGH-DEMAND FIELDS
Senators Deliver Fed Funding To Give CNY, Mohawk Valley Job Seekers Hands-On Training & Skills To Succeed For Good-Paying Careers In Manufacturing, IT, Health Care, Social Work, Finance, And More
Schumer, Gillibrand: From Oneida To Otsego, Underserved Communities Will Now Get The Tools They Need To Succeed And Fill High-Demand Jobs!
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) has awarded $2,999,993 to the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida to develop a groundbreaking job-training program for residents throughout Central New York and the Mohawk Valley through the America Building Apprenticeships Grant. The senators explained that this funding will give job seekers the workforce training and skills they need to succeed, with added focus on the needs of local employers and individuals with disabilities across a nine-county region that includes Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties.
“Now residents across Central New York and the Mohawk Valley will get the training and skills they need to enter high-demand industries with local employers, get good-paying jobs, and make a better life for themselves and their families,” said Senator Schumer. “I am proud to deliver this nearly $3 million federal boost to help the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida bolster the tremendous work they already do preparing people for careers and making our communities stronger.”
“This investment will provide job seekers and individuals with disabilities with the tools and training they need to secure stable, good-paying jobs in high-demand fields,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m proud to announce this funding and I’ll keep fighting for federal resources to build a strong, dynamic workforce in New York State.”
“We appreciate the support we receive from Senator Schumer’s office,” said Alice Savino, Executive Director of the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison & Oneida Counties. “We are looking forward to bringing together some awesome partners that include the Resource Center for Independent Living and the Central New York Labor Agency, as well as the corporate, community and educational partners that will help us reach out into all parts of the region we plan to serve.”
“The mission of the Workforce Development Board is to bring opportunity to under-served populations so that all of the people in our region have the training they need to enter rewarding, good-paying careers,” said Emily Arthur, board chair of the WDB and the Director of Human Resources at Riverhawk. “By helping individuals with disabilities in this innovative and collaborative fashion, this project will help make our workforce and our communities stronger,”
Specifically, this funding will allow the Workforce Development Board’s Regional Apprenticeship Development and Readiness project to develop a groundbreaking set of pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship readiness programs to help job seekers and individuals with disabilities obtain careers high-growth sectors like manufacturing, IT, health care, social assistance and finance. The program will also support rural residents across the region by using remote learning and technology to overcome distance and transportation issues that often can be barriers for rural residents who want training.
The Apprenticeship Building America grant program advances the Department of Labor’s efforts to expand and modernize Registered Apprenticeship by increasing the number of programs and apprentices, diversifying the industries that use Registered Apprenticeship and improving the access to and performance of Registered Apprenticeship Programs for underrepresented and underserved communities.
A copy of Schumer’s original letter of support to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh appears below:
Dear Secretary Walsh:
I am pleased to write in support of the application submitted by the Workforce
Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties (WDB) application for funding through the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) America Building Apprenticeships Grant program.
With funding, WDB will create, operate and sustain regional pre-apprenticeship programs in 5 sectors that can offer employment -- manufacturing, IT, health care, social assistance and finance – through apprenticeships for people with disabilities. Participants will enter at a variety of level and have basic skills addressed before entering a program to provide sector-specific skills that will blend classroom and hands-on training.
I applaud Oneida County and the Workforce Development board for their foresight and sincerely hope the application is met with your approval.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
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