| Individual
training is available through many sources such as Finger Lakes
Community College and BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational
Services).
A Hotbed
of Institutions of Higher Learning
Wayne County companies can draw educated, skilled workers
from more than 30 educational, technical, and business institutions
in the upstate New York area, all of which are within an hour's
drive. Baccalaureate and advanced degrees are offered by Hobart
& Williams Smith Colleges, Keuka College, and the University
of Rochester, as well as such renowned universities as Colgate,
Cornell, and Syracuse. In addition, Rochester Institute of
Technology and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf
provide highly-skilled graduates schooled in computers and
other high-tech trades. These are supplemented by several
nearby State University of New York (SUNY) campuses and community
colleges.
Low-Cost,
Skilled Labor
 Wayne
County is also home to almost 50,000 workers. Of those, almost
half (48 percent) drive outside the county to jobs elsewhere.
These out-commuters comprise another untapped resource of
people for new companies locating here. Both state and county
one-stop training programs are available to assist companies
with training or retraining of workers.
"Wayne County is home to a skilled and highly adaptable
labor force largely accustomed to commuting to other counties
for employment. Local employment within Wayne County would
offer an attractive alternative for these workers." -
Nancy Gellash, community service center manager, Department
of Labor, Newark.
Another
untapped, available resource of labor are the so-called "underemployed
workers." This category is comprised of those who would take
better jobs if offered by new employers.
According
to an informal poll of corporate clients conducted by PFResources,
site selection/location analysis consultants based in Dallas,
the primary source of staffing for new operations is underemployed
workers. In an audit conducted in 2000 for Wayne County, PFResources
found that "while the unemployment rates in the Wayne County
area are relatively low, a new employer will be able to attract
employees from an additional pool of about 58,200 underemployed
workers, aged 19-49." Further revealed was that approximately
17,400 would do so for a wage of $10.99 per hour or less,
while half would take that job for $15.33 per hour or less
(roughly $32,000 a year or less).
More than
25 percent of those individuals have some college and 30 percent
have a college degree. They have a variety  of
skills with more than half possessing some familiarity with
computer usage. The fact is reflective of the area's adaptation
to changing technology in the workplace and schools.
Most underemployed
workers in Wayne County have experience in the manufacturing/industrial
areas which represents 28 percent of all industries in Wayne
County. Government, trade, services and construction are the
next largest employers by industry.
"Optimax
manufactures precision optics. Since we moved here in 1995,
our employment has expanded from eight to 80 people. We have
developed a career-oriented workforce that has a high skill
level. Wayne County has been the right choice for Optimax!"-
Mike Mandina, President, Optimax Systems, Inc.
PFResources
also found that roughly 7,600 people who are neither employed
nor seeking work might re-enter the workforce for the proper
job. Click
here to view the results of a 2002 wage survey of Wayne
County.
One Stop
Workforce Centers
Wayne
County is part of The Finger Lakes Works. It offers valuable
services to both job seekers and employers in a convenient
format that will assure employers of the skilled workers they
require. Among other services, the Finger Lakes Workforce
Development One-Stop Center offers employers:
- Screening
of application to their specifications.
- Assistance
with recruitment.
- Access
to the largest job bank of local talent.
- Training
of incumbent workers as well as on-the-job training programs.
- Job
Fairs and interviewing facilities.
- An
account representative who will assist you in dealing with
the workforce system.
In Wayne
Country, your One-Stop centers are located at:
Wayne
County Department of Workforce Development
30 Church Street, Box 396
Lyons, NY 14489
315-946-7491
New
York State Department of Labor
105 North Main Street
Newark, NY 14513
315-331-2011
|
