Workforce development in the Mohawk Valley will get a nearly $3 million boost
The Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison & Oneida Counties has received nearly $3 million to create a new job training and apprenticeship program, Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand recently announced in a statement.
Officials said the new program will allow Mohawk Valley residents the tools they need to acquire good jobs in high-demand fields.
The senators said the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) awarded $2,999,993 to the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida to develop the program through the America Building Apprenticeships Grant.
“This program will differ from our other apprenticeship programs in those we are targeting for participation – individuals with disabilities are the prime participants,” said Alice Savino, executive director of the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison & Oneida Counties. “These individuals will receive career guidance, assessment and training in their chosen field. It could be manufacturing, IT, healthcare or the trades.”
“We will provide training (identified by potential employers) and assist with acquiring any tools that might be necessary to get hired. We are very grateful to have received this grant as it will round out our options for getting people to work. It increases the potential pool of employees by giving them the training and assistance they need.”
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, according to the senators.
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, the senators said.
“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 Schumer in a statement.
“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.”
Ed Harris is the Oneida County reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Ed Harris at EHarris1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Mohawk Valley gets federal money for new jobs program
