As Edwards Vacuum and Oxbo will soon start the process of hiring over 300 people to work at their advanced manufacturing facilities, they and other companies in the manufacturing, food processing and healthcare sectors across Genesee County also are actively recruiting people to fill new positions.

One of the comments we hear all time is “where will these people come from to fill all these jobs”.

The fact is we are continually assisting with long-standing Genesee County businesses and these companies to recruit and bring talent to fill their workforce needs.

Genesee County and the GLOW region and surrounding areas, including Buffalo and Rochester have a plentiful supply of well-educated, highly trained and motivated pool of people to choose from.  We grow that pool by supporting training programs that prepare and train our youth for careers that lead to meaningful employment and keep them in our community.

How?  Organically, through K-12 and upskilling

The GCEDC and the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation use revenues from projects and land sales and reinvest that money into training equipment and programs that are designed to help our local people receive training to be able to meet the current and future workforce needs of Genesee County businesses.

The GCEDC and GGLDC have directly funded $770,000 since 2021 into student training programs and equipment, including new mechatronics equipment for GV BOCES and a CNC router at Batavia High School. These investments offer students the skills and technical experience that will build our pipeline to meet the workforce demands of area businesses.

The GCEDC also works with key partners including the GLOW Workforce Development Board, Genesee Valley BOCES/BEA and high schools, Genesee Community College, and the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship/ Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association  as well as the ongoing support of the Genesee County Legislature. This builds the proverbial pipeline for the future Genesee County workforce.

It still takes a significant effort to find the right people to fit the job and its requirements, but an increasing number of good paying and family sustaining jobs do not require a college degree.  The GCEDC and Coach SwazZ are leading the way in the collaboration and programming for workforce training programs that other agencies across New York State are trying to replicate.

Genesee County is a state leader in workforce programs and initiatives.  And the results of these partnerships are already helping our youth and our employers.

Over the last year, 4,300 students in the GLOW region participated in workforce development programs including GLOW With Your Hands Manufacturing and Healthcare career exploration events, youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, and other programs that have introduced careers and skills available to our local youth while also connecting them with our local businesses.

Genesee County is on its way to achieving ACT Work Ready Community certification. This national workforce development initiative gives students and adults a new path to demonstrate their skills as they enter the workforce. Over 100 businesses located in and/or serving Genesee County are supporting this initiative.

These events and initiatives are labor intensive and require significant financial and human resource investments.  The Genesee County Economic Development Center recognizes this commitment, and in particular our volunteer board members who have backgrounds in business and understand the importance of workforce development and retention. 

Just as important, they realize that building a strong workforce pipeline creates a solid foundation for economic success and family sustaining jobs for current and generations to come who want to continue to experience the high quality of life that Genesee County and the GLOW region has to offer.

If you are interested in finding out more about the programs we have and the opportunities that exist with our local companies, do not hesitate to contact our agency!