ALBANY – State Senator James Seward (R-Oneonta) and the State Senate Task Force on Workforce Development are making efforts to improve connections between job seekers and employers.
Last week, the committee released a report summarizing the findings and recommendations from forums held across New York State to improve employer-employee connections. The report gives legislative, budgetary, and policy recommendations which advocates say will help create new job opportunities for millions of job seekers throughout the state.
“Before a company moves to New York or expands here, there are a number of factors that are considered – regulations, energy costs, and the availability of a well-trained workforce,” said Seward. “The senate has taken the lead on creating an atmosphere for job creation; but at the end of the day, we need to make certain a ready workforce is available. This report really focuses on the needs of new, developing industries and how best to train New Yorkers to fill those potential jobs.”
In addition to ways to improve networking in the workforce, the committee also identified ways to improve employee readiness, better meet demands of private sector employers, and retrain individuals who have lost their jobs.
In the end, these recommendations will help make New York’s economic climate more dynamic, said Seward.
“Along with developing new ideas, the task force also studied existing, innovative job training programs and used them as models in making these recommendations,” he added. “In my senate district, Milford Central School and Delaware Academy in Delhi are both home to unique programs that connect students and other job seekers with employers and continuing education. This type of thinking can be replicated elsewhere to really improve our overall ability to match employers with potential employees.”