Workforce Investment Board Gets $244,000 State Grant to Train Residents For Financial Services Jobs

The Workforce Investment Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties has received a $244,000 grant from the New York State Department of Labor to provide short-term training for jobs in the financial services sector to about 200 area residents, WIB Executive Director Alice J. Savino announced today.

"We thank New York State for this latest investment in our region,” Savino said. “When our area’s elected officials won the BRAC battle to grow DFAS jobs, they set the stage for our area to develop the potential for even more growth in the financial services sector, which has been a growing segment of our region’s economy. The State Department of Labor recognized our potential and is investing in the future of our region.”

Training will be offered in selected programs at Mohawk Valley Community College, Utica School of Commerce, Women’s Employment & Resource Center, Herkimer County Community College, BOCES Consortium of Continuing Education and other local training providers.

Area residents interested in having their training in financial services classes paid for through the project should complete pre-screening forms available on line, review the list of courses, and visit Working Solutions to meet with trained Working Solutions counselors. Counselors will assess an applicant’s skills, needs and potential for success in approving training scholarships at local training providers. Due to the nature of the work, applicants for these training scholarships must have a high school diploma or a GED.

The programs selected for this project allow participants to get the skills they need and get to work in the shortest possible time,” Savino said. “The grant money we receive will pay all or part of the cost of training depending upon what other funding is available and the overall cost of a program.”

Savino said that the Working Solutions Rome Center, located at 1101 Floyd Avenue and operated by Oneida County Workforce Development, has been the lead agency connecting the tri-county Working Solutions System with the training providers working with the WIB on this project. Area residents with questions about the project can contact
Working Solutions Rome at 356-0662. Other Working Solutions offices are also participating in this project:

• Working Solutions Utica is located on the Second Floor of the State Office Building, 207 Genesee Street.
• Working Solutions in Herkimer County, is located at 320 North Prospect Street, Herkimer.
• Working Solutions in Madison County is located at 1006 Oneida Plaza Drive in Oneida.

Employers who need customized training for new hires they will be adding should contact Savino at 793-6037.

Savino said the project is designed to provide area residents with skills that can help them find entry- and mid-level jobs at financial services employers, which include banks, credit unions, and insurance companies. Savino noted that the financial services sector in the Mohawk Valley is a major part of the region economy. As of 2004, there were 7,943 people employed receiving a total in wages of $323.2 million, and jobs grew by 6% over 1990 despite a number of mergers and realignments.

"The WIB is committed to helping every available worker receive the education, training and skills to fill the jobs that are available today and in the future,” Savino said. “We believe this project is an important step to preparing the people of our region for the opportunities of today and the growth that will come with tomorrow. This project meets the needs of our employers, helps local residents develop skills that are increasingly in demand and sets the stage for future growth by giving our region a larger pool of highly trained workers.”

Joining Savino at the announcement were representatives of the New York State Department of Labor, Genesis Group, Mohawk Valley EDGE, Mohawk Valley Community College, Utica School of Commerce and other project partners.

Savino urged area agencies that work with individuals with disabilities to take advantage of this opportunity to help their customers receive training that could result in employment. “The financial services sector is one in which the opportunities for individuals with disabilities are outstanding. I strongly urge all of our local agencies to become aware of the opportunities that exist through this project so that we can all help individuals with disabilities maximize their potential.”

Savino said the WIB’s financial services training project is part of a regional effort to take pro-active steps to respond to global and national trends shaping the workforce and the economy. “The growth we are experiencing is sending ripples throughout our economy,” Savino said. “I am very excited that we have a partnership representing Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison counties as well as New York State all working as a team to help the people of our area.”

Savino, who co-chairs the economic and workforce development committee of the Genesis Group, said the project, announced in conjunction with Genesis, is one piece of the puzzle that the group is trying to put in place. “We have good employers in our region. We have job growth. The challenge for us is to build on our strengths to grow even stronger. Everyone wants skilled workers. When we invest in training the people of our region we set the stage not only for their continued growth, but also for increased regional opportunities.”