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September 2024: Updates & Opportunities
Our full-service Tompkins Workforce New York Career Center is located in downtown Ithaca in Center Ithaca on the Commons, and we offer services for every job seeker. Tompkins Workforce New York is a collaboration of agencies with Tompkins County Workforce Development, the New York State Department of Labor, and lead partners. Every individual should be able to have a chance to meet their potential and we are here to help. Please visit our website to learn more and connect with us!
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The Finger Lakes Residential Center (FLRC) shows us how a juvenile treatment center can always improve upon youth programming and promote change. The mission is to continuously assess all facility programming, adding new or strengthening existing modalities that will help youth better themselves, and positively impact their families, as well as the larger community.
“We provide many services and work hard to meet the needs of the youth we serve. This makes them feel safer, so they can focus more on their treatment and are less likely to act out,” says Tom Murphy, Vocational Specialist at FLRC. The services available to residents of FLRC are counseling, education, vocational training, health and mental health services, recreational activities, community reintegration, voluntary religious services, and permanency planning. After they leave the facility, youth also receive aftercare services to aid with the transition and reduce recidivism.
FLRC models how opportunities for education and training can incentivize positive behavior. Each resident attends classes like the typical schooling for a young person. Positive behavior, such as active participation in school, group counseling, and avoiding negative peer interactions, earns residents the privilege to participate in activities such as basketball camp, On-the-Job Training (OJT), or an off-campus trip.
Available vocational classes at FLRC include barbering, woodwork, auto repair, and custodial work. Each vocational class offers a nationally recognized certificate of completion, allowing students to develop both their skills and resumes. In the OJT work program, participants earn a stipend. Youth are encouraged to take full advantage of FLRC vocational services, making their facility stay as productive as possible and allowing them to transition to aftercare or release with confidence and a wide range of skills.
In partnership with Tompkins County Workforce Development, FLRC also offers residents the opportunity to participate in the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). Through funds from the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, SYEP participants are paid for their work and often able to leave the facility with substantial savings.
One of the projects SYEP participants worked on at FLRC is grill repair for Taughannock Falls State Park. Because the facility is equipped with a metalwork shop, this is a great opportunity for residents to develop their welding skills, earn income, and give back to the community. As designated residents work in this program, they model to their peers the benefits of participating in vocational programs. These opportunities give youth more autonomy over their futures by opening their eyes to their own capabilities.
This past year, Workforce Development also began offering JobLink at FLRC. JobLink is a year-round youth employment program funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) with expanded supports and incentives. FLRC has been a unique partner with Workforce Development in this pilot, providing a concentration on specific elements of the WIOA programming via JobLink. This should produce better employment opportunities when they are released.
Youth who participate in this program can earn substantial savings and learn sound financial literacy skills to lessen the burden once released. Along with the vocational department at FLRC, there is a great potential in offering meaningful work experiences both in and outside of the facility that translates to marketable skills in the workforce.
Additionally, with communication from FLRC’s care team, Workforce Development can fill in the gaps in support that they may not be able to provide. One crucial component to the success of this program is County-to-County coordination. Workforce Development champions coordination with all counties in the state and departments that operate the WIOA youth programs. This coordination allows the youth to exit with a plan to pick up where they left off with Workforce Development. The youth have the potential to be released with a training program already set up for them and/or a work experience to gain crucial skills while earning money when they return to their home counties.
Currently, Tompkins County’s youth program is the only WIOA-funded program in the state that offers these services to youth in a facility such as Finger Lakes. In doing so, this pilot program hopes to produce data indicating that extra support and coordination provided through WIOA-funded programming can lead to meaningful resources and career pathways for court placed youth.
So far, four youth have participated. One participant earned his GED, an accomplishment he never thought possible. Additionally, he earned the privilege of traveling to Cayuga Onondaga BOCES to learn about small engine repair and auto technology. He has recently been released home, with the support of his aftercare worker and Deputy Director of the Career Center, Tai Basilius at Tompkins County Workforce Development, this young man will have continued opportunities for success.
Another JobLink participant at FLRC will soon be released home. With the same support offered, this young man will also be set up for continued success. He spoke about his experience at FLRC and as a participant in JobLink. “[This experience] brought me closer to my family,” he says. “It helped me not take things for granted.”
This young man has taken full advantage of the vocational training at FLRC, all the while maintaining high honor roll in school. He now has experience in maintenance, auto repair, carpentry, landscaping, and welding. He has taken classes through OCM BOCES, having earned the privilege of taking field trips to their facilities.
After his stay at FLRC, he looks forward to returning to his own local BOCES for school and working at a new job. As a JobLink participant, he is already signed up for the NYS retirement system, so once he finishes school, he would like to pursue a state job for the benefits, union, and option to continue contributing to that retirement fund.
The pilot program models are shared with other regions and facilities for consideration in enhancing their services. Speaking to the success of the JobLink participants, Tom Murphy says, “These two took full advantage of the opportunities our program offers. They learned valuable work and life skills, they earned a nice wage and set an example for their peers in the process.” Murphy has a background in coaching and raised three children of his own, so he is experienced when it comes to supporting young people through thick and thin. He says a good relationship with the kids comes down to trust, respect, and consistency.
People who are caring, consistent, and steady are great candidates for positions like Youth Support Specialist, which FLRC is currently seeking applicants for. These direct support staff members must be able to keep the youth safe, guide them in their goal setting, and progress them in their rehabilitation. Every new hire at FLRC can look forward to paid training and excellent employee benefits. They also receive overtime pay, when coverage is needed for typical programming or enhanced vocational or educational activity.
Many of the youth who spend time at FLRC come from areas where opportunities for success are more limited. FLRC’s programming is meant to serve the youth populations with better options for their futures. “We hope to teach these youth new skills to use when they return home,” says the Acting Facility Director, Kaitlyn McWilliams. “And when they are preparing to return to the community, we work to connect them to resources to help them remain successful.”
She emphasizes that FLRC is very different from a corrections facility or prison. If the youth who are placed here are willing to put in the work, FLRC’s programming is designed to engage them through skill-development, which can help them find jobs in the future. When they leave, a home assessment is completed and connects each youth to an aftercare worker from the Community Multi-Service Office, who acts as the community case manager and refers the young person to the services and resources they need to succeed.
“There is room for change with these kids,” says McWilliams. FLRC pilots this rehabilitative model to create a healthier environment than the traditional correctional facility. Humane conditions, autonomy over their experience, and overall care can greatly impact each young person’s future.
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After moving to Ithaca in November 2021, Zutiyah Graham moved from job to job, never quite feeling that one was right for her. In her search to build a career in Ithaca, she called 211 to ask where she could get career services.
“You can go as far as you take yourself,” Zutiyah says. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a past car accident was causing memory issues, so she sought support and training that would suit her situation and interests. “I said to myself, I’m going to see what I like, not just keep doing the same thing and repeat the same vicious cycle.”
211 directed her to visit the Tompkins Workforce NY Career Center, where she then met Cindy Sloan, Workforce Development Specialist. The two of them began to collaborate on how to get Zutiyah into the right career path for her by meeting several times for skills assessments and career exploration.
Because she had previously tried automotive work with JobCorp, Zutiyah knew that she enjoyed working with her hands. To give construction a try, she signed up for the Roots of Success program, which is locally run by Tompkins Cortland Community College and community partners. This federally registered DOL pre-apprenticeship focuses on environmental literacy and job readiness. Students earn an “Environmental Specialist” certificate upon completion of the program.
As she explored training programs in Ithaca, Zutiyah connected with many of the invaluable community members that make these programs possible. People like Aloja Airewele, Patrick Lynch, and Keegan Young of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and Sherron Brown of College Initiative Upstate showed Zutiyah kindness and support as she discovered her interests and gained skills. These community members provided referrals, tools, transportation, and gifts amidst the barriers and challenges of Zutiyah’s commitment to her future.
Another program Zutiyah completed was Cozy Basements! of the Energy Warriors Green Career Pathways program, supervised by Steve Beyers of BlocPower. This is a hands-on training experience in which students are paid to provide free basement insulation to homeowners in Tompkins County, with a focus on low- and moderate-income homeowners.
It was in Cozy Basements! that Zutiyah met Anthony “Sunny” Sunquist. The two of them became friends and together completed Cozy Basements!, started HVAC training, and made plans to start their own weatherization business. After the other participant in the HVAC training dropped out for personal reasons, Sunny and Zutiyah were the sole students.
Sunny unexpectedly passed away in July, leaving Zutiyah the only participant left in the summer HVAC class. Amidst the rest of the training, she mourned Sunny with his family and community.
“I didn’t take it well,” she says. “But I knew I had to keep moving because I have no family here.” Finishing the curriculum was important for her future, even if she had to pivot from the business plan she and Sunny had created together.
After spending time on developing her skills, she decided it was time to put her certificates to use and start a career. “I’m ready,” she says. “I’m looking forward to being a good installer.”
Zutiyah is also passionate about city planning, history, and financial literacy. In her spare time, she imagines how she can create a better world and form community with those who share her aspirations. She hopes to give back and help others learn skills that traditional education does not typically provide.
A job at Halco piqued Zutiyah’s interest, so Ethan Bodnaruk of BlocPower and Patrick Lynch of CCE helped her connect with them. Halco is a local company that provides heating and air conditioning, home installation, and plumbing services in the Finger Lakes region. When Ethan reached out, Halco requested Zutiyah’s resume and hired her for paid On-the-Job Training. Now Zutiyah is working at a starting rate of $22 an hour, with weekly paychecks and the promise of higher wages if her training continues to proceed well.
“I just wanted to be successful,” she says. “And Lord, I did it!”
For those interested in the Green Career Pathways program, the next round begins this month, though the application is always available to fill out. Cornell Cooperative Extension staff will reach out as they prepare for the next available training period.
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College Initiative Upstate is currently seeking applicants for enrollment in the fall 2024 College Prep program, which begins on October 1st. This free 8-week session prepares participants for either starting or completing college. As a program of OAR, CIU’s courses and services welcome formerly incarcerated individuals as well as those who: have a high school diploma or GED, are court-involved, are stable in their recovery, are underemployed, or have low income.
While there are other resources and services for formerly incarcerated people, no one in Upstate New York is doing what CIU does. In addition to academic services, CIU connects students with other human service resources they need, such as childcare, jobs at the Finger Lakes ReUse Center, or legal assistance.
Attending College Prep Classes consistently is essential, so CIU maintains communication with Ithaca and Tompkins County’s network of human service providers to ensure that the class schedule is manageable for all. There are also hours built into the schedule to make up for absences or requests for extra tutoring.
Local courts recognize CIU as an Alternative to Incarceration (ATI), meaning that a judge can give the individual a choice of participating in CIU programming instead of going to jail. The College Prep classes focus on key areas to prepare students for college: reading, writing, math, and computer skills. Professors from Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) guide the students through educational modules, and a tutor provides additional classroom support. The mathematics modules are self-directed, so students can proceed at their own pace.
For reading and writing classes, the instructor assigns a book, which is typically on a topic that relates to students’ life experiences. The class reflects on the theme through group discussions and writing assignments including journaling exercises.
Weekly, community presenters supplement the program’s academics with topics such as self-assessments for job readiness, poetry, financial literacy, and physical movement. At the end of the 8 weeks, individuals who successfully complete College Prep receive a certificate and a Chromebook during a graduation ceremony honoring their dedication and investment in themselves.
Enrollment for CIU’s College Prep is currently open, with the start date of October 1st for the fall session. In addition to College Prep, CIU also offers College Access for students who are already enrolled in college. WebWise is another CIU program specifically designed to support online learners through unique educational challenges of online or remote learning.
Almost 100% of CIU students qualify for full financial aid through NYS and federal grants. They also qualify for TC3’s Pathways Scholarship for non-traditional students. CIU doesn’t pay tuition, but they do pay for transcript and application fees, textbooks, a semester-long bus pass for commuting students, and more!
Do you think you qualify for CIU’s services?
You do qualify if you: have a high school diploma or GED, are court-involved, are formerly incarcerated, are stable in your recovery, are underemployed, or have low income. Both first-time and returning students are welcome to apply. If this program sounds right for you, call 607-351-5028 or 607-351-3201 to make an appointment or register.
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The summer cohort of Ithaca Area Economic Development's (IAED) Direct to Work - Pathways to Manufacturing program graduated in late August after five weeks of full-time training.
Direct to Work - Pathways to Manufacturing is an inclusive career pathway initiative that helps the un- and underemployed access training programs, resources, and opportunities to prepare them for entry-level positions with Tompkins County manufacturers. It is a collaboration with community partners aimed at mitigating personal and traditional barriers to entry while preparing individuals for success in the workplace and industry.
This training program aims to equip people with the technical skills needed by area manufacturers. Upon completion, participants get a one-time $1,000 stipend, guaranteed interview with participating manufacturers, and can take the Certified Manufacturing Associate (CMfgA) exam–a national credential. Thanks to Tompkins Cortland Community College’s partnership, Direct to Work - Pathways to Manufacturing is now a designated pre-apprenticeship program with a stipend of $1,000, an increase from the previous $500.
The Pathways to Manufacturing program is a blend of online learning and hands-on experience using Virtual Reality, employer engagement, and team-building exercises. Participants gain a comprehensive understanding of manufacturing processes and techniques and spend an entire day with each participating manufacturer, meeting with several departments and Human Resources.
If you enjoy working with your hands or have interest in manufacturing, this may be the right training program for you. For more information about the Pathways to Manufacturing program or to register for upcoming informational sessions, please visit the Direct to Work webpage or contact Cindy Sloan at csloan@tompkins-co.org.
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Tai Basilius was recently promoted from her position as Workforce Development Coordinator to her new role as Deputy Director at the Career Center. In this position, she is actively seeking new opportunities and partnerships to access more funding and bolster the goals of existing programs. In order to achieve better outcomes for customers, including retaining self-sufficiency through unsubsidized work, she is focusing on accountability in every program.
Tai first began working at Tompkins Workforce NY in October 2022, as a Transition Workforce Specialist working with the youth population. Having grown up in Tompkins County, she understands the unique needs of the local community well. By consistently conducting outreach to local businesses and organizations through the Youth program, she has laid the groundwork for future success in the other department programs.
One of Tai’s goals is to make the Workforce Development department the connector between programs. This would help make referrals and transitions easier for partners and customers. She wants this department to be something Tompkins County can be proud of for supporting the wellbeing of the community.
“It’s about the people that walk in every day,” she says. “They make the work here worthwhile.”
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Southern Tier Virtual Career Fair
The NYS Department of Labor's monthly Southern Virtual Tier Career Fair is TOMORROW on September 19th at 11am. Register and attend to network with employers such as Springbrook, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, and J.M. Murray Center. Job openings for attending businesses include teaching assistant, machinist, auditor, and environmental service aide. Register to discover more.
Department of Labor Webinars
The New York State Department of Labor is hosting informational sessions on Zoom every weekday for the rest of September. These virtual workshops are free and available to the public through online signup links. While most of the webinars are in English, many topics are also covered in Spanish during separate webinars. This month's topics include networking, public speaking, and transferable skills.
Although it is a challenging budget season, Tompkins County Workforce Development Department presented their over-target requests to restore a 5% cut to funding for programming and adding a new staff person at the Career Center. The programming reflected in the 5% cut ($23,558) includes two less work placements for residents to gain employment experience and three less trainings for participants.
Executive Director Christopher R. Sponn says, “Workforce Development is a human services department as seen through our work in the community. Another staff member will allow more time for outreach in all of Tompkins County, extended time at youth worksites, more workshops and career exploration at the Career Center, decreased wait times, and ending of prolonged waitlists for services. Our goal is to have a skilled workforce for today and the future. ALL communities must have the option of multiple career pathways and living wage jobs, and this funding gets us closer to that.”
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For questions regarding the newsletter, please contact Scout Frost, Communications Specialist: sfrost@tompkins-co.org
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