January 2022
The Workforce Development Board,
Herkimer, Madison, Oneida Counties, Inc.
(WDB/HMO)
News & Opportunities
Stay up to date with the latest job opportunities, training, and more on our website!
WDB/HMO & Partner News
ICAN's "Adopt A Family" Campaign
WDB/HMO Adopts Three Families

The Workforce Development Board participated in the Integrated Community Alternatives Network Integrated Community Alternatives Network's (ICAN) "Adopt a Family Campaign."

Some $1,380 was raised, that included donations from staff and a match from the WDB Board. Seven kids from three families, ranging from 3 months – 17 years old, received at least four gifts (most received six+). Gifts included winter jackets, snow suits, winter boots, hats and gloves, pajamas, baby dolls, diapers, hygiene products, board games, arts and crafts. Small “self-care” baskets for the parents were put together as well, which included a coffee mug, blanket, a candle, hot cocoa, hand sanitizer and $150 gift card to Walmart.

Thank you, Staff and Board, and thank you, ICAN, for giving us the opportunity to "give back" during the holiday season!
WANTO Graduates 7 Women from Pre-Apprenticeship Program

This Fall, the Women in Apprenticeship and Non-traditional Occupations Grant, in partnership with MVCC, put together a Trades Pre-Apprenticeship program.

The goal was to provide an opportunity for women to gain skilled trades knowledge, in addition to job readiness and information sessions with local employers.

The course consisted of blueprint reading, trades math, and an OSHA 10 certification.

After several weeks of hard work, seven women graduated from the Pre-Apprenticeship program, eager to venture into a Trades-related Apprenticeship or career opportunity.

The Workforce Development Board is looking forward to providing more hands-on and virtual training options to women interested in becoming employed in a non-traditional career.

CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES!

Article submitted by WANTO's Pre-Apprenticeship Counselor Sommer Edwards.
The WANTO program is 100% funded by a United States Department of Labor grant administered by the Women’s Bureau and Employment and Training Administration of $716,676.00.
New York State Association of Training and Employment Professionals (NYATEP) State of the State Report is here!

About the report: "The State of the Workforce Brief is an annual snapshot, of publicly available data, to inform communities about the dynamics of their regional economy and the workforce impact. For the fourth year, the New York Association of Training & Employment Professionals used readily available data to understand who is working and who isn’t, what sectors and occupations are growing across the State, and the number of potential workers produced by New York’s education and training systems."

WANTO Career Fair - January 12th
You're Invited to the Women in Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Career Fair!



The WDB/HMO’s WANTO grant helps recruit, train, and retain women in quality pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and encourages them to pursue apprenticeships and nontraditional occupations. The program offers a unique opportunity to females who are interested in any nontraditional occupation. A nontraditional occupation is any career in which females make up 25% or less of the workforce, including but not limited to: advanced manufacturing, information technology (IT), public safety, transportation, agriculture, and the trades. By participating in WANTO, women can pave the way for themselves and future generations to be valuable employees in these fields.

We hope that you can join us!
More Job Seeker Opportunities & Resources
Madison County Working Solutions is Offering
Job Search Resources at Locations Near You in January

Are you looking for employment, but are struggling with the job search process? Do you struggle with writing a resume? Madison County Working Solutions can help-- and they are now bringing their services to you by holding office hours in locations across Madison County.

At these locations, Career Center staff will assist with career counseling; resume assistance, interviewing tips, training information, funding opportunities, job search assistance, and information about job fair recruitments.

Madison County High School Seniors not planning to attend college will also have an opportunity to explore their options after high school. In addition, Madison County Youth will learn about the Madison County Summer Youth Program.

Please check out the upcoming locations, dates, and times that Working Solutions staff will be in your area. As a reminder, the Career Center in Wampsville is open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

CanCode Communities, a nonprofit organization training non-traditional talent for software career opportunities, announced the launch of its initial Herkimer CanCode program: Digital Literacy Training, which will enable individuals in the Mohawk Valley to gain basic computer skills that are critical to pursuing and securing tech jobs in today’s information economy.

Classes will begin on February 1, 2022, and are open to residents of both Herkimer and Oneida Counties. An information session will be held on January 6, at Herkimer College and via Zoom, to provide more information and answer questions.

The Digital Literacy Training curriculum teaches basic computer usage skills, including Google Docs and Microsoft Office; use and management of email and calendars; word processing and spreadsheet use; and using the web to conduct safe and productive internet job searches. Students may include those who have used a computer frequently in a professional environment, as well as those who have rarely used a computer and feel nervous about doing so.

“We’re excited to kick off our first HerkimerCanCode program, and thrilled to partner with a group of outstanding organizations committed to creating and sustaining a vibrant region,” said CanCode Communities Founder and CEO Annmarie Lanesey. “We look forward to providing individuals with the skills necessary to build successful tech careers, and to giving companies access to a diverse pipeline of local talent that will strengthen the Mohawk Valley.”
To register for the information session to be held Thursday, January 6 at 4 p.m., click here. There is no cost to attend. For further details, call (518) 238-6808 or email info@albanycancode.org.

HerkimerCanCode offers computer coding courses to equip individuals with the skills needed to pursue job opportunities in the tech industry, while also establishing a diverse, inclusive pipeline of tech talent to serve the needs of the business community. It represents a partnership between CanCode Communities, Herkimer College, Herkimer County, Herkimer Working Solutions, and the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.

“Herkimer College is excited to join CanCode Communities, Herkimer County, Herkimer Working Solutions and the Community Foundation on this exciting initiative,” said William McDonald, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Herkimer College. “We look forward to being an active partner in this effort to provide community members with marketable skills leading to lucrative careers and to strengthen the local tech industry workforce.”

“We already know that we possess a valuable workforce in our county and we believe that this unique opportunity could appeal to an otherwise untapped section of that workforce,” said Vincent J. Bono, Chairman of the Herkimer County Legislature. “Partnering with Herkimer College, The Community Foundation and CanCode Communities to start HerkimerCanCode is an exciting first step in making workforce development training in the tech industry available in our county.”

“Leaders in Herkimer County recognize that opportunities available in the tech industry are increasing,” said Karin Piseck, Director of Employment & Training for Herkimer County and Manager of Herkimer Working Solutions. “We think it’s the perfect time to offer this entry-level look into the digital literacy and software coding field.” 
 
“HerkimerCanCode brings wonderful opportunities to our community and its residents,” said Alicia Dicks, Community Foundation president/CEO. “The Community Foundation sees unique learning avenues like this that support technology careers and workforce development as critical to building and sustaining vibrancy in our two-county community.”
Did you miss the webinar?
"How to Successfully Apply for Positions at DFAS"

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service Center is recruiting to fill positions
for Accounting Technicians and Contact Representatives.

These entry-level federal jobs support America’s Heroes by resolving issues related to their travel pay and financial information. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals with experience in Customer Care, Finance or Accounting who want to serve those who defend America.

• Many positions will be telework-eligible to residents of Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego Counties.
• Training and equipment will be made available.
• DFAS offers great benefits, and opportunities for education and advancement.

We recently held webinars to help candidates successfully apply for these jobs!

If you didn't make it to one of our webinars, you can view them on this page of our Working Solutions website.
NYS “Nurses for Our Future” Scholarship

The “Nurses for Our Future” Scholarship will cover tuition for 1,000 new or current healthcare workers to earn an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) at a two-year or four-year New York State public college or university. 

• Up to 500 scholarships will be awarded for out-of-state licensed nurses who relocate and practice in New York State to earn a BSN.
• Up to 250 scholarships will be awarded for New York State licensed nurses to earn a BSN. Up to 250 scholarships will be awarded to New York State residents newly seeking an ADN.

Scholarships will cover the actual tuition charged by the public college or university for four full-time semesters. Awards will be pro-rated for recipients attending less than full-time. Scholarships will not cover other costs of attendance, including fees, room-and-board, or other expenses.

Apply for the Enhanced NYS B5 SUNY‐CUNY Workforce Scholarship: Early Childhood 
  
DO YOU WORK IN AN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM, CENTER, FAMILY OR GROUP FAMILY CHILDCARE?
 
Would you like to earn a Credit bearing Credential, Certificate, two year, four year or Graduate degree?

The Enhanced NYS B5 SUNY-CUNY Workforce Scholarship: Early Childhood is a needs-based scholarship designed to support those individuals working 20 hours or more in a licensed early childhood center or Family/Group Family Day Care Center.

Eligibility Requirements:
• Working in a licensed Early Childhood Program (center, family, group family) 20 hours or more
• Applying to or attend a SUNY-CUNY School part-time
• Commit to meeting with Institute advisors to create and update a Study Plan three times per semester
• Needs-based

To learn more about the scholarship, please attend one of the following information sessions:
January 5, 12:30 - 1:30 pm
January 12, 6:30 - 7:30 pm
January 19, 10:30 - 11:30 am


To Apply for the Workforce Scholarship Go Here:
MOBOCES 5 HOUR PRE-LICENSING CLASS - Fall/Winter 2021

They are currently running both in-person & virtual sessions.
WDB Grant Programs: NOW ENROLLING!
WDB Learning/Training Grant Programs

The Workforce Development Board has learning/training grants that you may be eligible for!















The WDB also has a new Facebook page where we'll be featuring our grant learning programs and incentives. Please Like/Follow us and share our posts to get the word out about these great programs! https://www.facebook.com/WDBHMO

And you can also follow us here on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hmowdb/
Online Resources
Job Seekers: DYK about our online resources?

We post hiring events and featured job opportunities on our website. We also have a custom job search right on our website's front page that you can use to search job opportunities across six counties: Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego.
Go here to explore, and see more programs and resources:

We also post new jobs every day on our Facebook page. Stop by often, because they won't all show up in your newsfeed!
Go here to Follow us:

And you can follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorkUtica
And Instagram, too! https://www.instagram.com/hmowdb/
Free Online Skills Training
Check out these Adobe Courses that you can take for FREE on our self-paced, online learning platform!

  • There are more than 5,000 free courses on the platform!
  • Take as many as you want!
  • Beef up your resume!

Some can be completed in 30 minutes or less! There are courses in IT, Healthcare, Business and many more.

This FREE self-paced online skills training is available to all businesses and job seekers in Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Chenango, Delaware and Otsego Counties!

More than 5,000 courses to choose from including Business, Healthcare and IT. View the catalog here:

Find out more and sign up here: 
Free Workshops
The New York State Department of Labor is Offering FREE Online Virtual Workshops!

>Resumes
>Interviewing
>Transferable Skills
>Job Search
>Networking
>And lots more!

Workforce Development Board, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Inc.
209 Elizabeth Street
Utica, NY 13501
Stay Connected