By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-845043.mp3
Albany, NY – Statistics released late last week show New York State has the highest number of unemployed since 1976. The Labor department is calling attention to several programs that can help Capital Region employers weather the economic storm, as we hear in this report from Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas.
State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith today outlined a wide range of initiatives administered by the NYS Department of Labor designed to help businesses in the Capital Region weather the current recession. These include training programs, federal tax credits for new hires and an initiative that helps companies avoid potential layoffs. The unemployment rate in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area was 6.8 percent in May 2009, compared with 6.7 in April and 4.7 in May 2008.
"As Governor Paterson often says, we are a state rich with resources, the most impressive of which is our human capital," said Commissioner Smith. "We need to invest in that capital here in the Capital Region, and let it grow. That is the ultimate goal of these initiatives, funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."
Commissioner Smith also encouraged Capital Region businesses to tap into the Labor Department's Building Skills in New York State (BUSINYS) program and upgrade the skills of their incumbent workers. Under this $5 million training program, funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, businesses with four or more workers are eligible to apply for up to $50,000 in worker training funds from the Department of Labor.
The purpose of the BUSINYS initiative is to ensure that the skills of workers do not deteriorate or become "stale" in an ever-more competitive and technologically complex global economy. Once awards are made to Capital Region businesses, incumbent workers will be trained in specific occupational skills needed by that business or industry. Eventually, this can lead to potential career growth and increased wages.
In order to be considered for an award, an applicant must:
* Be a private sector, for-profit, or not-for-profit business, and have four or more employees; or a consortium of two or more such businesses that have the same training needs.
* Be headquartered or have at least one physical location in New York State at the time the proposal is submitted. (Funds awarded to applicants must be expended on employees working at the applicant's New York State facilities.)
* Have contacted their local workforce investment area.
In addition:
* The position(s) targeted for training must exist and be filled at the time the proposal is submitted.
* The applicant must demonstrate that the training will result in the workers' acquisition of transferable occupational skills.
Businesses have until July 20, 2009 to apply for the BUSINYS training program. There is no minimum award amount. Contracts will be awarded for a period of up to six months. For more information or to download an application, visit the Labor Department's homepage.
Businesses in the Capital Region that are hiring are encouraged to take advantage of federal Work Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC) administered by the Department of Labor. These credits, which can amount to thousands of dollars for each new hire, are available for any business that hires WOTC-eligible individuals, including: long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients; TANF recipients; veterans (eligibility criteria for veterans has expanded under the federal stimulus package); ex-felons; summer youth (eligibility criteria for youth has expanded under the federal stimulus package); vocational rehabilitation referrals; 18 to 39 year-old food stamp recipients; Supplemental Security Income Recipients; and individuals living in designated zones across the state. Businesses in the Capital Region interested in WOTC should call 1-888-4-NYSDOL.
n 2008, there were 48 companies and 1,392 workers in the Shared Work program in the Capital Region. Statewide, 462 companies and 14,775 workers participated in the program during that year. From January through May 2009, there were 95 companies and 1,744 workers participating in the Shared Work program in the Capital Region. During this same time period, 1,317 companies and 31,446 workers participated in the program statewide.
Businesses interested in applying for the Shared Work program can call (518) 457-5807.To find out more about the Department of Labor and its services for businesses and workers, please visit www.labor.ny.gov.