Broome Tioga Talent Task Force Progress Report 2017-2020

Broome County Workforce & Talent Attraction Strategic Action Plan 2017-2020

Progress Report: Defining the New Landscape

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CO-CHAIRS In February of this year, the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, a key community partner and lead agency for the Broome Tioga Talent Task Force, published its findings from its recent 2020 Economic Outlook survey. Business leaders were more confident in Broome's economy than ever, optimistic about the growing workforce, new development, and an increase in economic activity.

The economic health of Broome and Tioga Counties was on the rise until everything came to a sudden halt due to the economic shutdown of New York State brought on by the Coronavirus.

The world of workforce development has entered unknown territory, with over 40% of the United States population working remotely and over 30% left without a job due to the pandemic. Now more than ever, leveraging of public - private partnerships is essential to create new job opportunities and key investments within Broome and Tioga.

The Talent Task Force was created in 2017 and its members were then tasked to discern a vision for the workforce over ten years. Together we created the first Strategic Action Plan for the years 2017-2020, isolating key industries, major obstacles, and acting on reported business needs.

Now the time has come to return to the big picture, the question we asked Talent Task Force members to keep in mind, what should the workforce look like in ten years? A viable, healthy and sustainable workforce for Broome and Tioga Counties.

Since 2017, the Talent Task Force has made significant progress in its various talent attraction efforts, through the use of place-based marketing amongst several of its community partners, as well as career preparedness, from adult training and education to a brand new K-12 Career Pipeline. We commend the hard work and dedication of all of our community partners and individual members.

The next three years of our collective ten year vision presents the Task Force with new challenges, but its members are more than prepared. Committed to promoting a vibrant economic future, we are truly stronger together and will continue to champion our goals for a dynamic workforce.

Peter G. Newman Regional President, M&T Bank

Anthony R. Paniccia President & CEO, Delta Engineers, Architects, & Surveyors

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction......................................................................................4 Broome Tioga Talent Task Force Members....................................6 Talent Task Force Work Groups......................................................7 Talent Task Force Vision Statement................................................8 Strategic Priorities...........................................................................9 Strategic Priority #1.........................................................................11 Strategic Priority #2.........................................................................13 Strategic Priority #3.........................................................................15 Tioga County Initiatives....................................................................17 Next Steps.........................................................................................20

INTRODUCTION March 2017 welcomed the first meeting of the Broome Tioga Talent Task Force (Task Force). In response to a workforce study conducted in 2016, The Agency, which governs the Broome County Industrial Development Agency and Local Development Corporation, brought together members of the community from various industries, educational institutions, economic and workforce development organizations, and local non-profits to identify and address the critical needs of our area’s workforce.

The workforce analysis conducted in 2016 highlighted key aspects of Broome County’s workforce including employment rates, open positions, labor participation, population trends, and aging out of the workforce. The goal of the Task Force is to promote a healthy and sustainable workforce within Broome County. Faced with barriers such as the misinformed internal and external perception that “there are no jobs,” skills gaps among currently unemployed or displaced workers, and an absence of a comprehensive workforce pipeline, the Task Force knew it must leverage community resources and public-private partnerships in order to effectively foster a vibrant workforce.

Through nearly thirty individual interviews and 16 focus groups of all ages and occupations, the Task Force was able to isolate three strategic priorities and presented the community with the Broome County Workforce & Talent Attraction Strategic Attraction Plan 2017-2020 in September 2017. This Progress Report serves as an overview of the most recent workforce initiatives and guidance on the next steps to be taken by the Agency and its community partners, including SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Broome, Broome-Tioga BOCES, Broome-Tioga Workforce, the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, and others.

Three years from the Task Force’s inception, March 2020 brought with it new uncertainties. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, businesses across New York State underwent a complete economic shutdown and subsequent phased reopening. In response, the Leadership Alliance between The Agency and the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce created the COVID-19 Economic Response Recovery and Resiliency Taskforce. The COVID-19 Task Force consisted of three recovery teams, including the Workforce & Talent Attraction and Retention Recovery Team.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered our collective understanding of the modern workforce. While some businesses were deemed essential, others struggled to keep workers on payroll, and many were faced with the unfamiliar world of remote work. In person classes and training programs, job fairs and interviews, many traditional workforce practices came to a stop. Members of the Workforce Recovery Team, many of whom also belong to the Talent Task Force, worked to identify best practices for workforce development during COVID-19 as well as define new needs of both local employers and labor force.

Going forward, due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, data driven strategies are more important now than ever. The COVID-19 Workforce Recovery Team will be integrated into the Talent Task Force in order to effectively develop future workforce development strategies that adequately fill the gaps revealed in the system by this unprecedented health crisis.

BROOME TALENT TASKFORCE MEMBERS Natalie Abbadessa, The Agency

Kurt Steinhauser, Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.

Jason Andrews, Windsor CSD

Julie Keenan, BOCES-New Visions

Dan Bonsick, BAE Systems

Michael Keenan, Good Shepherd Village

Danielle Britton, GBEOP

Melissa Klinko, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield

Darcel Carver, Marine for Life Network

Sheri Lamoureux, UHS

Amy Shaw, GB Chamber of Commerce

Jennifer Lesko, Urban League of Broome County

Paul Deamer, Lockheed Martin

James Mullins, BOCES

Stacey Duncan, The Agency

Kim Myers, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc.

Stephen Feehan, Feehan Financial Services

Peter Newman, M&T Bank

Jason Van Fossen, Maine-Endwell CSD

Anthony Paniccia, Delta Engineers, Architects, & Land

Gene George, Raymond Corporation

Surveyors

Jacqueline Gerchman, United Way of Broome

Zachary Salisbury, The Quality of Life Agency - Veterans

Victoria Giarratano, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Jim Silkworth, United Methodist Homes

Becky Harris, Broome Tioga Workforce

Jeff Smith, TEN

Jan Hertzog, SUNY Broome

Michele Snyder, SUNY Broome

Robyn Darrow, Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.

Tonia Thompson, Binghamton CSD

Andrea Decker, Binghamton University

Ian Williams, Carpenters Local 277

Tina Dolan, UHS

Sara Liu, Broome-Tioga Workforce

Robert Murphy, Broome-Tioga Workforce

Brenda Lidestri, Binghamton CSD

Adam Flint, Southern Tier Solar Works

Carol Miller, AM&T

Pam Riddleberger, Union-Endicott CSD

Deb Montrose, Engage Forward

Brittany Woodburn, Tioga County Dept. of

Jim Orlando, Bionco Builders

Economic Dev. & Planning

LeeAnn Tinney, Tioga County Dept. of Economic Dev. & Planning

*Please note: Those listed as Talent Task Force and Work Group members were the representatives involved in the development and execution of the strategic priorities between the years 2017-2020.

TALENT TASK FORCE WORK GROUPS HEALTH CARE WORK GROUP MEMBERS Natalie Abbadessa, The Agency Jason Andrews, Windsor Central School District Kim Barker, UHS Kay Boland, UHS Amy Brandt, SUNY Broome Danielle Britton, GBEOP Mary Pat Carhart, USG Gina Chase, SUNY Broome Sharon Collette, Lourdes Ascension Jennifer Conway, GB Chamber of Commerce Tina Dolan, UHS Stacey Duncan, The Agency Jason Van Fossen, Maine-Endwell CSD Rachel Hargerman, SUNY Broome Rebecca Harris, Broome Tioga Workforce Jan Hertzog, SUNY Broome Michael Keenan, Good Shepherd Communities Jessica Krohn, Helio Health Sheri Lamoureux, UHS Erin O’Hara-Leslie, SUNY Broome MAHS Cheryl Marshall, Lourdes Ascension Tom McNair, BOCES James Mullins, BOCES Peter Newman, M&T Bank Anthony Paniccia, Delta Engineers, Architects, & Land Surveyors Andrea Roma, SUNY Broome Jim Silkworth, United Methodist Homes Susan Seibold-Simpson, SUNY Broome Tonia Thompson, Binghamton CSD Meg White, Binghamton University Brad Tomm, Chenango Valley CSD LeeAnn Tinney, Tioga County Dept. of Economic Dev. & Planning Brittany Woodburn, Tioga County Dept. of Economic Dev. & Planning

MANUFACTURING WORK GROUP MEMBERS Natalie Abbadessa, The Agency Mark Agutter, CMP Advanced Mechanical Solutions Jeff Anderson, Amphenol - AAO Jason Andrews, Windsor CSD Sarah Birchenough, BAE Systems Brad Brooks, Brooks’ Machine Products Danielle Britton, GBEOP Gina Chase, SUNY Broome Kyle Davis, GB Chamber of Commerce Jake Dubois, Buckingham Manufacturing Fintan Fleming, Samscreen Gene George, Raymond Corp.

Sue Gorman, Ametek Johanna Hickey, Chenango Valley CSD Jake Haddock, Four Square TRE Becky Harris, Broome-Tioga Workforce Jan Hertzog, SUNY Broome Kevin Jant, Crown Cork and Seal Jacob Johnson, Amphenol - AAO Sara Liu, Broome Tioga Workforce Joseph Lynch, Elliott Manufacturing Annamaria Mastronardi, Amphenol AIO Carol Miller, AM&T Kara Mulcahy, BAE Systems Jim Mullins, Broome Tioga BOCES Peter Newman, M & T Bank Jim Nichols, Buckingham Manufacturing Anthony Paniccia, Delta Engineers, Architects, & Land Surveyors Brett Pennefeather, ECK Plastic Arts Mike Ripic, Lockheed Martin Shawn Reed, Elliott Manufacturing Michele Snyder, SUNY Broome, Dean of STEM Sue Surgent, Atkore Jason VanFossen, Maine-Endwell CSD Sean Zimmer, Amphenol Neal Wobbe, Amphenol - AAO LeeAnn Tinney, Tioga County Dept. of Economic Dev. & Planning Brittany Woodburn, Tioga County Dept. of Economic Dev. & Planning

TALENT TASKFORCE WORK GROUPS K-20 WORK GROUP MEMBERS Natalie Abbadessa, The Agency Jason Andrews, Windsor CSD Scott Beattie, Windsor CSD Danielle Britton, GBEOP Elisabeth Costanzo, SUNY Broome Larry Dake, Binghamton CSD Paul Deamer, Binghamton University Stacey Duncan, The Agency Mike Dundon, Laborers Local 785 Becky Harris, Broome Tioga Workforce Julie Keenan, BOCES New Vision Program Kristine Battaglino, Binghamton City CSD Andrea Decker, Binghamton University Michelle Feyerabend, Chenango Valley CSD Adam Flint, Southern Tier Solar Works David Gill, Chenango Valley CSD Cory Green, Owego Aplachain CSD Diahann Hesler, Spencer Van Etten CSD

Suzanne McLeod, Union-Endicott CSD Jim Mullins, BOCES Kim Myers, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. Peter Newman, M&T Bank Anthony Paniccia, Delta Beth Ann Roberts, Cornell Cooperative Extension Andrea Roma, SUNY Broome Tim Strong, Visions Federal Credit Union Tonia Thompson, Binghamton CSD Jason VanFossen, Maine-Endwell CSD Ami Wiswell, Windsor CSD Eric Knolles, SUNY Broome Brenda Lidestri, Binghamton City CSD Pam Riddleberger, Union-Endicott CSD Michael Rullo, Harpersville CSD LeeAnn Tinney, Tioga County Dept. of Economic Dev. & Planning Ian Williams, Carpenters Local 277 Brittany Woodburn, Tioga County Dept. of Economic Dev. & Planning

TALENT TASKFORCE VISION The overall goal of the Talent Task Force is to create a vibrant, healthy and sustainable workforce for Broome County’s future.

The overall objectives are to:  Improve the skill level of the existing workforce;  Move the unemployed into the workforce;  Reverse the out-migration trend and retain the existing workforce;  Attract new talent;  Create a pipeline of new workers to replace retirees and build/grow the workforce base.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 2017-2020

Address urgent and immediate need for workers to fill job vacancies in the target industries and retain a quality workforce. (Ongoing)

Address workforce shortages in target industries over the next 1-3 years. (Ongoing)

Create a comprehensive and integrated Career Path Program for Grades 8-12. (Accomplished)

500+ JOBS 675,000 SQUARE FEET

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #1 Address urgent and immediate need for workers to fill job vacancies in the target industries and retain a quality workforce.

Ongoing.

Truly effective talent attraction and retention efforts go beyond simply advertising a pool of existing positions, and includes a comprehensive promotion of key community assets. The Agency and the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, as lead agencies of the Broome Tioga Talent Task Force, have taken their communications to the next level.

Over the past year, The Agency has continued its "Jobs.Now.Broome" initiative, which has effectively dispelled the internal and external notion that there are no jobs within Broome County. Through a partnership with local News Channel 34, WIVT Binghamton, The Agency and Jobs.Now.Broome has continued its Employer Spotlight program, giving participating businesses the option to widely promote open positions, be featured across Channel 34's various platforms for a month long period, and also be permanently listed in the directories of local job postings found on Task Force partner's websites such as Broome-Tioga Workforce, the Greater Binghamton Chamber's "Area Jobs" page, and the "Work" page of Broomeisgood.com.

Similarly, the Jobs.Now.Broome campaign through The Agency and its subsequent Broome is Good (Good Life) Program has increased its social media presence through the use of targeted advertisements and a diverse array of engaging media content. Due to the creation of the Leadership Alliance between The Agency and the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce in late 2019, communications from the two organizations have also become more effectively aligned.

In 2020, as a result of the changes brought on by COVID-19 and coordination across workforce and communication efforts, the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce launched their sister program, the Virtual Employer Job Spotlights streamed from Zoom directly to Facebook Live. The Chamber's Virtual Employer Job Spotlights are produced on a bi-weekly schedule, and businesses pay a small fee to be one of three employers featured per session. Job seekers are able to sign on to Facebook, visit the Chamber's website, or go to Broomeisgood.com to view recordings from previous Virtual Employer Job Spotlights.

Place based marketing, through the Chamber's Visit Binghamton and Experience Bing programs, as well as the Agency's Good Life location based brand, has also significantly contributed to workforce and talent attraction efforts, especially towards young professionals. Recent anecdotal data indicates an increase of interest in relocation from New York City to areas such as Broome County.

The Visit Binghamton and Experience Bing programs work especially close with local employers in order to give prospective employees or visitors in the area for business an authentic and engaging Binghamton experience. The Good Life then takes those efforts one step further, when prospective employees become official hires and visitors on business become developers, and celebrates everything that makes up a good life in Broome County.

The blog and social media components of the Broome is Good brand continuously promote community assets such as parks and natural spaces, affordable housing, a vibrant downtown in the City of Binghamton, a diverse business community, the perfect work/life balance and more. With two categories of stories allowing site visitors to meet the locals through Good Life stories or discover Broome County products with Made in Broome stories, the Broome is Good program feeds directly into the Chamber's Visit Binghamton and Experience Bing programs as people are inspired to come and see how the good life could look on them.

Beyond marketing existing assets, the continual development of new community assets is also critical to ongoing talent and attraction efforts. The Agency's Housing Report conducted in 2017 indicated a high demand for housing targeted towards young professionals. As part of workforce development initiatives, The Agency has promoted and provided financial assistance to several housing development projects, such as Century Sunrise, 50 Front Street, ANSCO Lofts, and more.

Additionally, due to COVID-19 and recent anecdotal real estate data indicating an increase in interest of relocating from New York City to areas such as Broome County, The Agency launched in late summer of 2020 a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaign to advertise the good life found in Broome County as well as record information such as location, age, and gender of site visitors to better improve targeted advertising efforts going forward. Initial findings demonstrate an engagement rate higher than the average campaign of this variety.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #1

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #2 Workforce development heavily relies on the ability to close the skills gap within one's community. As a part of the equation, investing in educational programs, for youth and adults, as well as industry specific training facilities is critical to building a healthy workforce that fulfills employer needs while simultaneously teaching transferable skills and opening new doors for workers. When the Task Force was convened, we spoke with dozens of business leaders and determined that not only was it they were having trouble finding a labor force, but they were consistently unable to find skilled workers.

Manufacturing, one of the originally identified target sectors, is of top priority as employers like BAE Systems, Raymond Corp, Universal Instruments, and more are looking to fill entry level to upper level positions. That is where community partners such as SUNY Broome and Broome-Tioga Workforce come into play. In the last year, Workforce Development at SUNY Broome procured a total of seventeen grants. The grants went to support incumbent worker training, pre-apprenticeship training, and small business and development support programs.

The New York State Entrepreneurship Assistance Center (EAC) at SUNY Broome, which won an Outstanding Performance award in 2019, is on the ground meeting with businesses to hear what it is that their workforce needs and leveraging their funding and other partnerships in order to meet those needs.

Most recently, in an attempt to answer business leader questions, four industry round tables, including one with critical industry partner Alliance Manufacturing & Technology, were conducted in partnership with SUNY Broome's Workforce Development office to discuss funding availability for apprenticeship programs in manufacturing as well.

Darlene Kanuk, Program Director of the Entrepreneurship Assistance Center at SUNY Broome accepts the 2019 Outstanding Performance Award alongside Empire State Development's COO & Executive Deputy Commissioner, Kevin Younis, Senator Anna Kaplan, and Director of the EAC program, Bette Yee.

In 2018, Broome-Tioga Workforce launched the Warehouse Opportunity Impact Training Program (OITP), the first of a workforce development series that provided hands on learning experience, certifications in skills such as forklift operation, and a guaranteed job upon completion.

Due to the success of the Opportunity Impact Training Program for the Warehouse sector, in 2019 Broome-Tioga Workforce, in partnership with SUNY Broome, held two sessions of the next iteration in the series, the Manufacturing Opportunity Impact Training Program.

Twenty-six people successfully completed this program where they attended technical training programs and found positions at participating employers including Samscreen Inc., Engineering Manufacturing Technologies (EMT), and Metals and Triple Cities Metal Finishing.

OITP was one of several initiatives to bring the job fair model into the 21st century, creating broader access for those who are unemployed and underemployed and lacking the skills a recruiter would be looking for at a regional job fair. The program provides skills that are needed both in the workforce and in a successful interview.

July 2019 Graduating Class of the Manufacturing Opportunity Impact Training Program (OITP)

Other efforts to bring the job fair into the 21st century also include Broome-Tioga Workforce's recent move and expansion to the facility located at 601 Harry L Drive Johnson City, New York.

Moving into this space allowed Workforce to more efficiently set up its professional staff and resource room to make assistance with job searches more accessible. The resource room holds over a dozen computers that job seekers can use to browse job postings, write resumes and cover letters, take online training courses, and more. Broome-Tioga Workforce is also continuing its online Metrix Learning program, giving community members the option to receive certifications in several different skill areas, better preparing them to enter the workforce.

The COVID-19 pandemic also caused a sudden push into the virtual world of workforce development. Community partners including Broome-Tioga Workforce and the Greater Binghamton Chamber hosted redesigned job fairs, including a drive through job fair, bi-weekly virtual employer spotlights, and a socially distanced job fair. While aspects of workforce development such as in person training programs are part of a developing landscape due to the nature of the pandemic, that does not mean that workforce efforts are coming to a screeching halt.

Broome is Good and the BroomeTioga BOCES Pathways in Technology Early College Highschool (P-TECH) program partnered in 2019 to challenge P-TECH students to reflect on "What does a Good Life mean to me." The online photo-essay contest encouraged P-TECH students to photograph their favorite parts of Broome County as an extension of the Talent Task Force's objective to bring talent attraction and workforce development to the 21st century.

In September of 2020, Broome-Tioga BOCES announced the receipt of a federal grant as a part of New York State's Workforce Development Initiative. BOCES houses a number of youth training as well as adult education classes, with many industry driven skills a forefront of the curriculum, including for example, their P-TECH program, enables students to earn an associate degree while simultaneously working toward their high school regents diploma, and their new youth Advanced Manufacturing program. The grant received in September 2020 will go towards their existing Certified Nursing Assistant program, and will train 20 new nurse assistants, a high demand position in the area.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #2

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #3 Create a Comprehensive and Integrated Career Path Program for Grades 8-12 Accomplished.

During the 2019-2020 School Year, the Greater Binghamton Education Outreach Program (GBEOP) launched the first annual 8th Grade Career Exploration Fair, SPARK. The Task Force has always emphasized that strong talent attraction and workforce retention efforts begin at home.

Nearly 2,000 eighth graders from 17 middle schools within the Southern Tier were in attendance. Students had the opportunity to meet with over 40 businesses and engage in hands-on activities to better learn about popular local careers, higher education opportunities, and training programs in the area. The SPARK Career Fair is to designed to promote career readiness amongst students preparing to enter high school and showcase careers available in our community to inspire students to start thinking about their desired careers at a young age. Going forward, the SPARK Career Fair will be adapted per COVID-19 regulations.

The K-20 Work Group of the Talent Task Force developed in 2019 a comprehensive career pipeline for students pre-K through 12th grade called Peak, the path to a successful future. With this program, the Talent Task Force hopes to tackle the question of access and ascension within the workforce and introduce a new labor force to balance out the rise in regional retirement numbers. As of July 2017, Broome County held a 5.3% unemployment rate, which due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has only grown to 12.8% as of July 2020. The Peak booklet and its corresponding online component can be adapted to fit any school curriculum's needs; its launch is currently planned for Spring 2021. Activities include informational workshops, professional development worksheets, Career Days and College Nights, tours with local employers, project based learning, and more.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #3

TIOGA COUNTY INITIATIVES The Broome Talent Task Force expanded in 2019 to include Tioga County workforce development initiatives. The Tioga County Department of Economic Development and Planning, otherwise known as Team Tioga, has made significant progress on all three strategic priorities in Tioga. Due to the nature of our region's workforce, with many Tioga County residents that work in Broome County and vice versa, this partnership is a natural fit and will continue to streamline efforts and communications between the two counties' workforce development teams.

In June 2020, Team Tioga launched its 2020-2025 Tioga County Workforce Development Strategy. The Strategy has entered the implementation stage as of July.

Strategic priorities include the isolation of area specific key performance indicators, identification of critical stakeholders within the business community, developing strong relationships with school districts, targeting the creation of school to career pipelines for key industries, and more. Implementation takes all of those pieces to the next level by connecting businesses with schools and assisting schools in the development of more career readiness programs, such as the Owego Apalachin Central School District STEAM Academy and Career Pathway programs, Waverly Central School District Work Based Learning Program, PEAK, and assistance in the procurement of funding for schools.

In the last year, Team Tioga has assisted the following school districts with applying for funding in order to further industry specific education initiatives: • •

Owego Apalachin Central School District Workforce Development Initiative (WDI) funding request Waverly Central School District Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funding request

Team Tioga also launched two studies within the last year, a Childcare Needs Assessment, which was completed and compiled into a comprehensive report in September 2020, and the recently launched County-wide Home-Based Business Study, in partnership with Tioga Opportunities Inc., which will analyze the viability of Home-Based Businesses in Tioga County and identifying their top needs.

A snapshot of the Child Care survey demonstrates the existing need for childcare in Tioga County that will only continue to grow as more parents re-enter the workforce. This is a common trend across both Broome and Tioga as childcare options remain limited.

Tioga County, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, also created the Tioga County Economic Recovery Advisory Council (TCERAC), which hosts several specific subcommittees working together to develop a comprehensive recovery plan that includes a strong focus on workforce development. The TCERAC through its Economic Recovery Strategy also is preparing Tioga County for future opportunities that may be available to help implement identified strategic priorities.

TIOGA COUNTY INITIATIVES

NEXT STEPS The Broome Tioga Talent Task Force is now in the process of developing a new Strategic Workforce Plan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, daily life as we knew it has changed and workforce development must be approached from an entirely different angle, and to better aid future planning efforts, the COVID-19 Workforce Recovery Team will be integrated into the overall Broome Tioga Talent Task Force. Additionally, the Talent Task Force will now be housed under the Greater Binghamton Education Outreach Program in an effort to better streamline workforce partnerships and initiatives going forward.

Workforce development may take on a new form post COVID-19, but the Talent Task Force is committed to delivering high quality training programs and access to higher paying careers.In 2017, The Agency and Talent Task Force identified targeted industry sectors, including healthcare, education, and manufacturing. Now, as the landscape is rapidly changing it is critical to reidentify key sectors, their hiring patterns, and workforce needs.

For this reason, the Broome Tioga Talent Task Force is striving to develop a detailed data driven response to workforce development. The Agency receives on a continual basis, weekly economic updates and reports from Chmura Economics & Analytics. Reports received during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic have already indicated several potential starting points, including analyses of remote work trends across industry sectors, impacts on commercial and residential housing, hiring trends for remote and non-remote positions pre- and post-COVID-19, and more.

One of the original core principals of the Task Force was a “flexibility to meet the demands of a changing economic climate� (The Agency, 2019); COVID-19 required the community partners that make up the Task Force to quickly adapt. The overall mission of the Broome Tioga Talent Task Force will remain the same, to effectively foster a vibrant, sustainable workforce, however, that cannot be truly accomplished without first shifting our focus to COVID-19 workforce recovery and resiliency strategies.

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