Workforce Investment Board, VA, State Urge Veterans to Visit Working Solutions for Training, Skills Assessments

Workforce Investment Board Executive Director Alice J. Savino recently announced a federal-state-local partnership to help veterans access training at the Working Solutions Centers. Joining Savino to make the announcement were, from left, Brian Adey, Chief of Staff to Sen. Joseph A. Griffo; Daniel O’Brien-Mazza, Co-Team Leader for Psycho-Social Rehabilitation Programs for the VA, and Frank Barretta, Regional Veterans Services Representative for the New York State Department of Labor.

The Workforce Investment Board (WIB) of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties, in partnership with the Syracuse VA Medical Center and New York State Department of Labor, is urging the region’s veterans to connect with the nearest Working Solutions Center to access training in the region’s high-growth financial services sector and receive a free skills assessment that can help them decide the best career options for them.

The effort to assist veterans was announced at the Donald J. Mitchell Rome VA Outpatient Clinic. The Clinic is operated by the Syracuse VA.

Our region’s veterans have the discipline, leadership and can-do attitude that employers want and need,” said WIB Executive Director Alice J. Savino. “We want to help veterans making the transition back to the community make a positive step toward finding a job by either getting training under our Financial Services Training Project, or by getting a no-cost skills assessment that can help them decide how their skills match up against the needs of various careers.”

"From resume preparation to job interview training, Rome Clinic’s Roger Nichols, (Vocational Rehab Specialist) is committed to helping veterans find employment,” said James Cody, Syracuse VA Medical Center Director. “The WIB is a welcome addition to this process. We encourage veterans who are looking for work or looking for a new career to take advantage of this opportunity. The Syracuse VA applauds Working Solutions for this special focus on veteran employment”

"This new opportunity to attract veterans to Working Solutions builds upon the New York State’s Department of Labor’s extensive counseling and support efforts to help veterans receive the support they need to find jobs or access training and benefits to which they are entitled,” said Savino. “Outreach efforts through strong partnerships can help us serve more veterans.”

Savino said that in addition to training opportunities open to all residents, the WIB is providing skills assessments to veterans. “Veterans come from a variety of educational backgrounds, and life experiences as well as very different military careers. They need to know how their math and English skills stack up against the needs of the private sector workplace so that they can have a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses and the growth sectors of our economy that may be the best matches for their strengths.”

The Financial Services Training Project, supported by a grant from the New York State Department of Labor, provides free short-term training 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.

Veterans 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.
Savino urged local veterans who are interested in the project to review the pre-applicant and course list materials on line at www.working-solutions.org and then contact the Working Solutions office most convenient for them.

Savino noted that the New York State Department of Labor provides specialized counseling for veterans at all Working Solutions Centers. Although participants in the Financial Services Training Project are not required to see a specific counselor, veterans staff are trained to meet the needs of veterans.

• Utica: Frank Berretta, Regional Veterans Coordinator and Local Veterans Employment Representative, 793-5322. Patricia Cloutier, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Counselor, 793-5304. Working Solutions Utica is located on the Second Floor of the State Office Building, 207 Genesee St.
• Rome: Saundra Wilkerson, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Counselor, 339-0046, ext. 231. The Working Solutions Rome Center is located at 1101 Floyd Avenue.
• Herkimer: Sal Baggetta, Local Veterans Employment Representative, 867-1400. Working Solutions in Herkimer County is located at 320 North Prospect Street, Herkimer.
• Oneida: Saundra Wilkerson, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Counselor, 363-2400. Working Solutions in Madison County is located at 1006 Oneida Plaza Drive in Oneida.

The Financial Services Training 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.

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 hope that our local veterans will take advantage of this opportunity so join a growth sector that is expanding its presence in our regional economy.”