Schumer: Finger Lakes High-Tech Manufacturers are Growing and Adding Jobs, but can't Find Qualified Local Workers to Fill All Positions - Pushes Legislation to Partner Companies with Schools & Industry to Train Local Workforce in Specific Skills

Press Release

Today, standing at ITT Goulds-Pumps in Seneca Falls, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced his support for legislation that would create a federal grant program to help industry clusters, Finger Lakes schools and workforce training agencies produce prospective employees with the necessary skills to find jobs at growing advanced manufacturing companies. During a visit to the ITT Goulds manufacturing plant, Schumer announced his support for the SECTORS Act of 2011, which would create Department of Labor grants to help manufacturers like ITT Goulds and others throughout the Finger Lakes work with local schools, industry, and workforce development groups to recruit workers and create training classes and programs to teach students and job candidates the skills they need to secure jobs at local manufacturing companies. ITT Goulds Pumps is a 860-employee manufacturer, and has seen dozens of jobs go unfilled for long periods of time or had to look outside of the Finger Lakes area to find skilled workers to fill the jobs.

"Growth of the specialized manufacturing sector in the Rochester Finger Lakes region should go hand-in-hand with an uptick in local job creation, but a shortage of qualified local workers means that's not always the case," said Schumer. "That is why I'm announcing my support of the SECTORS Act, which would partner schools, local industry officials and other stakeholders in the region to establish specialized worker training and recruitment programs so that manufacturing companies like ITT Goulds-Pumps can hire workers from their own backyard when they have an open position. This bill would be a huge boon for the Rochester-Finger Lakes region and help fill good-paying jobs as our manufacturers move full-steam ahead expanding and growing in the region."

Schumer was joined by executives and employees from ITT Goulds-Pumps, as well as Mike Mandina, Chairman of the Finger Lakes Advanced Manufacturer's Enterprise (FAME), and CEO of Optimax Systems, as he visited the ITT Goulds manufacturing plant and announced his support for the SECTORS Act, which would award renewable three-year competitive industry or sector-partnership grants to eligible companies to help them train their work force and encourage job growth.At any given time, ITT Goulds has between 12 to 24 job vacancies for which they struggle to find workers. It is particularly difficult for the company to find welders, skilled machine operators, and computer aided design (CAD) operators. These jobs require special training and skill, and are good paying career-track jobs, which would ideally be filled by local workers. Similarly, about thirty of the Rochester Finger Lakes tooling and machining manufacturers report to have a total of approximately 143 job vacancies over the past year in fields ranging from mold and die makers to injection molding operators, optics technicians and quality control inspectors. Schumer states that the SECTORS Act would help these manufacturers grow in Rochester and partner with the first-class workforce for which the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region is well-known.

The SECTORS Act is needed to help industry clusters and local businesses work with educational, workforce, and industry partners to ensure that local workforces have the skills to fill vacancies at companies like ITT Goulds and Optimax Systems. These companies can only do so much to ensure that the local workforce meets their hiring requirements, and the competitive funding provided through the SECTORS Act would provide schools and local industry partners with the resources necessary to train and recruit Rochester's workers for these manufacturing positions. For example, this bill could help create specialized worker training programs at local schools, focused on matching unemployed New Yorkers from the Rochester-Finger Lakes region with good-paying jobs. This could be achieved through outreach to high schools and community colleges like Finger Lakes Community College to steer students on a training path, and by working with partners to develop a training curriculum for unemployed adults. The legislation would also help employer training agencies partner with even more businesses to create new pathways to employment. As the economy evolves and worker needs change, companies, schools, and private groups could work together to overhaul training and recruitment curricula to suit the current economy.

The SECTORS Act could also help expand recruitment and advertizing to market these job openings, develop better employee retention incentives, or expand internship and apprentice programs. Schumer stated that the SECTORS Act, originally sponsored by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would be an economic shot in the arm for the region, as it would help partner local industry, education and government leaders and encourage cooperative efforts to train the Rochester-Finger Lakes workforce to meet the needs of the area's growing manufacturing sector.

ITT Goulds-Pumps employs 860 workers at its Seneca Falls manufacturing center, where it manufactures quality industrial pumps and parts for the chemical, pulp & paper, mining, mineral processing, oil & gas, power, water, and wastewaterindustries. Optimax Systems employs 160 workers at its Ontario headquarters. Recently, Optimax enlarged their facility by 50% and plans to hire about 20 more people over the next 6 months. Schumer points to this expansion as an example of the type of growth that local manufacturers are experiencing in the region. At the same time, ITT Gould, Optimax Systems and other local manufacturers have experienced major difficulties in hiring local employees for positions like those created in these expansion plans. The SECTOR Act would help promote manufacturing growth and competitiveness in Rochester and the Finger Lakes, and improve worker training, retention, and advancement in that industry.

More than 50 advanced manufacturers and stakeholders belong to the Finger Lakes Advanced Manufacturers Enterprise (FAME), which was founded recently to help the local advanced manufacturing cluster find and develop qualified workers. The SECTORS Act, which is supported by FAME, is needed to help such industry clusters work with educational, workforce, and industry partners to ensure the local workforces have the skills to fill vacancies. The competitive funding provided through the SECTORS Act can improve resources available to groups like FAME, and help extend their reach to make an even greater impact on the Rochester-Finger Lakes region.

Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success Act of 2011 or SECTORS Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require the Secretary of Labor to award renewable three-year competitive industry or sector partnership grants to eligible entities to develop strategies that: (1) encourage growth and competitiveness through work with employers within a targeted industry cluster; (2) help workers move toward economic self-sufficiency and ensure that they have access to supportive services; (3) address the needs of firms with limited human resources or in-house training capacity, including small- and medium-sized firms; and (4) coordinate with entities that carry out state and local workforce investment, economic development, and education activities.

Eligible entities may apply for a one year planning grant of up to $250,000 and a three year implementation grant of up to $2.5 million. Eligible entities receiving an implementation grant may apply for a $1.5 million renewal grant for an additional three years if certain conditions are met. Eligible entities must leverage increasing amounts of non-federal funding each year they receive federal funding.

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