EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a guest editorial by Steve Lockwood. Lockwood is the executive director of CITEC, the regional New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP) center serving the North Country.
The North Country has a fundamental workforce problem, but there are solutions within our grasp.
Amid statistics that show a double-digit decline in the region’s labor force and 82% of upstate CEOs lamenting an inadequate supply of appropriately trained workers, there lies a larger issue: local companies are struggling to fill their open positions, which is affecting the growth potential of our regional economy.
It’s something we are working to address at CITEC, the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership center serving the North Country… continue reading