Erie County Legislator Tim Kennedy recently ensured the threatened future of our labor workforce by sponsoring the Law known as “Erie County Workforce Development and Diversification Apprenticeship Training Program.”

The program will provide New York State certified educational programs that combine classroom work with structured work experiences to train workers for highly skilled jobs in the construction sector.

“The benefits of this program will provide a solution to the threat of the depletion of our current workforce due to the retiring of our baby boomers,” Kennedy said. “This program will provide the young laborers of today the necessary skills to provide the quality work needed for tomorrows future.”

Kennedy stated this program would come with many benefits that include being a source for economic benefit to the community as a whole, providing stable employment opportunities for our youth through a structured high quality-training program.

“Women and Minorities are under represented in the construction trades because of lack of skills,” Kennedy said, “This legislation would be a gateway for women and minorities, creating more opportunities for them and providing the necessary skills to gain employment.”

Worker Training Programs are good for the economy as it puts highly trained and talented workers into the local labor market.

“Without such programs local construction companies will not have an available pool of skilled workers,” Kennedy said, “Contractors will be forced to bring in workers from out of the area on construction projects in the Inner Harbor Project and the Medical Corridor. Tax dollars flowing out of our area is not good for our economy.”

Kennedy stated that the contractors who participate in the Worker Training Programs would also see many benefits. Some of those benefits would include tax credits and exemptions from overtime regulations for apprentices in the instructional programs. Contractors would gain employees who are highly skilled, efficient, productive and motivated with better attendance records and an above average longevity with their employees.

Contractors will also reap the benefits of paying apprentice labor up to 50 percent less than fully trained workers, resulting in cost saving on the bottom line.

“With the baby boomers currently dominating the construction trades retirement will create a shortage in the industries skilled workforce,” Kennedy said, “Within the next decade, 185,000 new workers must be trained to offset expected retirements. Worker Training Programs will ensure there are an adequate number of skilled workers in the construction trade.”

Kennedy said despite an anti-legislation campaign asking the County Executive to veto this Law, this is a fair ... to both Union and Non-Union contractors.

“Apprenticeship programs are neutral and do not favor union or non-union contractors,” Kennedy said, “This is not a union or non-union issue. Of the 1,200 registered apprentice programs in New York State, 900 are sponsored by non-union contractors.”

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