September 10th, 2018
On September 10th, 2018, the Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo, New York officially opened its doors to its very first group of new students. This one-of-a-kind facility has been created through the adaptive reuse of a former manufacturing facility and will provide wraparound training and mentorship for jobs in advanced manufacturing and energy – two industries in desperate need of employees.
This center is uniquely designed for individuals 18 years or older who face major barriers to enrolling and completing post-secondary education, such as transportation, childcare, academic readiness, and affordability. Northland is committed to providing for-credit education at little to no cost to those with financial need and intensive wraparound support services that will help participants graduate and enter the workforce with the tools and education necessary for success. In its first months of operation, the training center has already surpassed many of its original goals for both minority and women participation in their programs.
“We’re projecting to need to fill 20,000 advanced manufacturing jobs over the next 10 years mainly due to retirements. [This sector] has an aging workforce and a non-existent pipeline,” says center President and CEO Stephen Tucker.
The next semester of cohorts is scheduled to begin in January, and the center will prepare its graduates for these specialized positions, many of which have an average starting annual salary of $45,000.
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