A SUNY JCC student works on a CNC machine
Jamestown Community College has joined Alfred State College and Genesee Community College to bolster the regional manufacturing industry.
The colleges have established a collaborative marketing initiative called WNY Works in response to the crisis local employers face in finding and hiring skilled manufacturing workers. The goal is to attract more students to study and pursue rewarding manufacturing careers.
Through a new website, brochures, social media, digital advertising, and videos to showcase graduate success stories, the goal is to increase the number of skilled workers in Western New York who are needed to fuel the local economy. Funding for the project came from the Wilson Foundation.
Interact Communications, a leader in student recruitment for two-year degrees, will implement the regional marketing strategy.
The National Association of Manufacturers estimates that 2.1 million jobs will be open by 2030. Western New York manufacturers employ more than 60,000 workers who earn an average of $85,474 annually. However, 77 percent report that they cannot find skilled professionals to fill open positions.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, annual wages in Western New York include $60,800 for computer and electronics manufacturing jobs, $79,300 for transportation equipment work, $60,100 for fabricated metal workers, and $60,460 for mechatronics technicians.
For more information, visit WNYworks.org.
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