November/December 2018
The Workforce Development Board of
Herkimer, Madison & Oneida Counties'
AAI Grant Program Newsletter
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Businesses: AAI Now Offers Up to $10,000 for On-the-Job Learning
And Has Increased Related Instruction to Up To $5,000!

If a mentor takes time out of his/her day to train an apprentice, we can reimburse your company the mentor’s hourly wage for the time spent training – up to $10,000 for On-the-Job Learning.

Additionally, AAI can now offer up to $5,000 for the Related Instruction of an apprentice . Previously, the amount was $3,000. 
 
To learn more about how you can take advantage of this new incentive, please email us .
AAI Hosts Apprenticeship Roundtable
On November 14th, In honor of National Apprenticeship week, the AAI grant program hosted an Apprenticeship Partner Roundtable at The Beeches in Rome, NY.

About 50 local business rep resentatives, agencies and stakeholders attended the event to learn about the benefits of hosting or becoming an apprentice, partner programs and tax incentives and funding.

Presenters included:
Jennifer McCullough
Apprenticeship Employer Coordinator
American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) Grant
Workforce

Martha Ponge
Director of Apprenticeship
MACNY (Manufacturers Association of Central New York) 

David Goodness
Central New York Regional Director
Workforce Development Institute (WDI)

Franca Armstrong
Associate Vice President of Workforce Development and Dean of the Rome Campus
MVCC (Mohawk Valley Community College)

Nicholas Gratch
Apprenticeship Training Representative
New York State Department of Labor – Office of Apprenticeship

Patti Williams
Senior Transition Counselor, Statewide Transition and Youth Services, Business Relations Representative
ACCES-VR (Adult Career and Continuing Education Services – Vocational Rehabilitation)
Jennifer McCullough
Apprenticeship Employer Coordinator

Jennifer assists companies across a 19 county region setting up apprenticeships. The AAI grant helps support these apprenticeships by funding related instruction. Her efforts have helped create over 200 new apprentices in New York State over the last 3 years. Jennifer’s partnerships with other workforce development providers have resulted in paradigm shifting training strategies that have been successful all across Central New York, both with entry level training and now with pre-apprenticeship opportunities. Jennifer’s work with one of her employers resulted in New York State’s first apprentice-able trade in the emerging field of Information Technology (IT). She is currently working on the development of 5 additional IT trades with another employer.

Photos Courtesy Alice Savino
Left: Mamie Smith, AAI Apprenticeship Coordinator
Right: Nate Crossett, AAI Program Director

Photos Courtesy Maggie Gilbert
AAI Presents at the Otsego County Workforce Summit

On October 24th, AAI Director Nate Crossett and Apprenticeship Coordinator Mamie Smith presented about the benefits of apprenticeships at Otsego County's Workforce Summit .

Some 85 businesses and workforce/human service agencies convened at the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown for the day-long event to discuss the future of Otsego County's business environment .

NYSDOL Labor Analyst Christian Harris kicked-off the summit by presenting about future openings in healthcare, manufacturing, retail and other demand occupations . There are more openings than workers , and the population in this area is decreasing and we have an aging workforce . 

Mr. Crossett and Ms. Smith spoke to the crowd for about 20 minutes, about how an apprenticeship works, how to get involved and how the AAI grant works.

A Visit to Alcoa Headquarters

AAI’s Apprenticeship Employer Coordinator Jennifer McCullough and Martha Ponge, Director of Apprenticeship at MACNY , recently visited the Alcoa Corporation in Pittsburgh, PA . 

This is the company’s headquarters . It is one of the largest producers of aluminum products in the world . 

Alcoa also operates a facility in Massena, NY , in St. Lawrence County, where AAI and MACNY are currently assisting 10 apprentices . 

Photo Courtesy Jennifer McCullough
Left: Martha Ponge, Director of Apprenticeship, MACNY
Right: Jennifer McCullough, Apprenticeship Employer Coordinator, AAI
Photto Courtesy Nate Crossett
Congratulations, "Manufacturing 101
Boot Camp" Graduates!
In the early part of November, seven women took part in a "Manufacturing 101" boot camp, sponsored by the Herkimer, Madison Oneida (HMO) Workforce Development Board's (WDB) AAI grant.

Prior to attending the Boot Camp, the women participated in a two-week seminar sponsored by the Women’s Employment and Resource Center (WERC)/Empowered Pathways Program in Utica . During this portion of the training, the women learned job readiness skills .

The women then attended AAI's manufacturing training for two weeks , where they received soft skills training and were given a ToolingU account . Sherry DePerno, president/CEO of Advance Tool in Marcy, also gave presentation to the women about manufacturing . 

The women received a certificate at the completion of the training, signed by Stephanie Eghigian, Empowered Pathway's executive director and Nate Crossett, AAI's project director .

Congratulations, Boot Camp Graduates!
Apprenticeship Update/ AAI Partnership Featured in the MACNY newsletter
"MACNY and its Accelerated Apprenticeship partners at The American Apprenticeship Initiative and The Workforce Development Institute of New York worked closely with workforce agencies in Tioga County. It takes a buy in and commitment from local partners to make sure the program runs smoothly."

Read the article here:
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"Many parents undervalue manufacturing as a career for their children. However, when parents were told about the financial benefits of jobs in manufacturing, they said they would encourage their children to explore the field."
--IndustryWeek
Kronos 2018 Manufacturing Day Survey - Educating Parents about the Benefits of a career in Manufacturing
From Industry week:
"There is a disconnect between how we are training our kids and what careers they will choose. While 58% of parents want their child to be knowledgeable about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and 43% agree STEM-focused careers have a promising future, only 20% of parents associate STEM education with the manufacturing industry, according to a new survey from Kronos Incorporated."

Benefits of Apprenticeship
  • Helps recruit and develop a highly skilled workforce.
  • Improves productivity and the bottom line.
  • Provides opportunities for tax credits and employee tuition benefits in some states.
  • Reduces turnover costs and increases employee retention.
  • Creates industry driven and flexible training solutions to meet national and local needs.
  • Allows workers to earn and learn at the same time.

M ore and more companies are realizing the advantages we can offer in helping to train their future workforce .

Since 2015, our programs have helped more than 60 companies across the central New York region train more than 300 workers, and we've increased our geographic footprint from six to 19 counties.

Employers: If you are interested in becoming a sponsor , please let us know!

We can also help you set up a new apprenticeship program .

"National Apprenticeship Week: More Apprenticeships, More Opportunity"

--U.S. Department of Labor Blog
Apprenticeship Stories
National Apprenticeship Week, held this year from November 12th through the 18th, celebrated the opportunities that apprenticeship programs provide to American businesses and career seekers.

During National Apprenticeship Week , the U.S. Department of Labor shared stories from apprentices and job creators about how apprenticeship is creating the careers and workforce of tomorrow . 

Major Incentive Available!
To better respond to industry workforce demands , NYSDOL is making up to $4.1 million available until April 30, 2019 , in order to expand and diversify Registered Apprenticeships (RA) .

The New York State Apprenticeship Expansion Grant offers eligible companies up to  $5,000 per apprentice  for training and/or associated costs .

Registered Apprenticeship s are a “global, tried, and true workforce development strategy,” says the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), which offers apprentices opportunities to earn a salary while learning the skills that businesses demand in a variety of occupations across industries.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has recognized that NYS faces a middle-skill labor shortage and that failing to address this “middle-skill gap” will erode NYS’s ability to strengthen middle-class economic justice for its citizens , notes NYSDOL in its Request for Applications (RFA).

“This causes NYS’s businesses to be less competitive in the global economy due to losses in productivity and forces them to seek skilled workers elsewhere.”

Restoring middle-class security is significantly influenced by the availability of middle-skill jobs , NYSDOL says, because these jobs comprise the largest portion of the labor market, and key growth industries are unable to find sufficiently trained workers to fill middle-skill jobs.  

For the purposes of this RFA , NYSDOL notes that " middle-skill jobs" typically require more than a high school education and less than a bachelor’s degree , and are specific to the skills of the occupation rather than an individual’s education attainment.

This funding will cover costs associated with training apprentices through RA , such as Related instruction, On-the-Job training, books, and tools.

Please email us to find out how we can help!
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“RA is a job-driven strategy, providing a pathway for many to the middle class. For businesses, RA serves as an opportunity to grow their own workforce and meet skill needs for the future.”

--NYSDOL
"The Jobs Are Here, But Where Are The People"
Key findings from the 2018 Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute skills gap and future of work study.

From Deloitte.com:

"Faced with continuing economic expansion and retirement of baby boomers, the US manufacturing industry is looking at a potential shortage of 2.4 million workers in the next decade. How can manufacturers address this expected skills gap?"

The study shows that exposure to a skilled trade through an apprenticeship has shown to be a promising pathway for filling many of the skilled jobs that lie open in the manufacturing industry. 

To read the article, click here.
To read the study, click here.
Who We Are
In Central New York, The Herkimer, Madison, Oneida (HMO) Workforce Development Board's (WDB)  American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) Grant  is building a  new sustainable regional workforce pipeline  specific to  advanced manufacturing  including nanotechnology, cybersecurity and unmanned vehicle systems.

AAI helps companies  registered in the apprenticeship program recruit, train, retain and develop a diverse workforce of skilled employees .

Apprenticeships create a pipeline of skilled workers to help employers prepare for the “grey tsunami,” mend the skills gap and bring their companies to the next level. AAI can also help businesses set up an apprenticeship program .

AAI helps high school and college students, disconnected youth, unemployed adults, minorities and veterans  prepare for and secure apprenticeship opportunities. There is no charge to enroll in the program.

We provide opportunities to participants for:
  • On-the-Job Learning
  • Job Related Technical/Classroom or Online Instruction
  • Pre-Apprenticeship Training

This program is available to residents and businesses located in the following New York counties: Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins.

CONTACT US   to find out how we can help!
Need Training Help?
Are you a smaller company looking to get additional training for your employees? We have heard from some of you regarding the need for  safety classes and more . If you would be interested in teaming up with other companies that are in a similar situation, let us know .
Why Should You Consider Becoming an Apprentice?
Please like us on Facebook
Apprenticeships are a "hot topic" in the news!

We are keeping up with national and local news on our Facebook Page including:
  • Reports & Surveys,
  • Interviews (apprentices, students, schools employers & stakeholders),
  • Government news,
  • Apprenticeship tips,
  • Local opportunities and more!

Please like/follow us here: https://www.facebook.com/AAICNY/
About the Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison, Oneida (HMO) Counties:
The role of the local Workforce Development Board (WDB) is system focused and strategic in nature. As a decision-making entity, the WDB determines priorities of service, negotiates measures, facilitates integration, and ensures quality outcomes. By understanding workforce development needs, anticipating trends, and focusing on system outcomes and performance, the WDB can effect substantial long-term change in the economic well being of the community.
Have Questions? Ask Our Staff
Nate Crossett , AAI Project Director
315-798-5036

Heather Schaap , Apprenticeship Coordinator

Mamie Smith , Apprenticeship Coordinator
 
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. This product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it.