Employers have long struggled to fill manufacturing and technology jobs in the Buffalo Niagara region.
The problem: Not enough skilled workers to fill existing openings, or to entice growing companies to expand here.
The New York Power Authority board of trustees approved $1.2 million in funding to help the Northland Workforce Training Center launch a training program for automotive service technicians.
Now, a newly formed coalition is aiming to boost job growth in those two important – and good-paying – employment sectors.
If successful, the Western New York Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition will bolster the number of trained workers and connect them with good-paying jobs at local employers. It is a pressing issue, with the region’s historically low unemployment rate limiting the number of workers available to hire.
“Everything we do, we want to be driven by business and industry,” said Stephen Tucker, president and CEO of the Northland Workforce Training Center. “Because at the end of the day, they have the jobs and we have to make sure we’re preparing the talent to meet their needs.”
The coalition consists of 13 partners from education, business groups and training organizations. The initiative will receive $29 million over three years…
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