A new municipal employee recruitment and retention campaign was launched today in Albany.
The American Rescue Plan Act funded “Join Albany” launched with a regional presence across digital platforms. It’s aimed at highlighting, according to third-term Democratic Mayor Kathy Sheehan, "fulfilling careers the City of Albany provides to over 1,300 current city workers."
“We need to tell our story more," Sheehan said. "And this Join Albany campaign is our opportunity to tell that story. We want to attract the best and the brightest. We want for our high school graduates to see that there is opportunity here right out of high school. We want those who are college graduates who are here in our city going to UAlbany or St. Rose or Sage to see this as a career path and an opportunity. And we believe that this campaign is going to help us do just that.”
Sheehan says the city is looking to fill open positions across some 20 offices and departments.
“We currently have more than 200 vacancies, which is about 15% of our workforce. And we have job openings really at every entry point into the into the workforce," said Sheehan. "We have job openings as laborers, police officers, telecommunication specialists, assessment aides, accountants and more. The Join Albany campaign will provide the city with another benefit, a consistent branding focused on presenting Albany as a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
Sheehan adds there are job openings in Fire, Water, Codes, Planning, Neighborhood & Community Services, and Youth & Workforce Services.
Chief Eric Hawkins says the Albany Police Department is also recruiting.
“Not only are we looking for men and women who are ready to serve this community as police officers, but we're also looking for men and women to work in non-sworn vacancies also," Hawkins said. "So what are not-sworn vacancies in our department? They are the unsung heroes who work behind the scenes each and every single day serving our community, whether you want a career in communications, dispatching, an aide at one of our stations, or as members of our Administrative Services Bureau. We're also looking for animal control officers, as well as those who wish to advocate on behalf of those who are victimized by crime and domestic violence.”
The initiative is intended to streamline the application process while making it more accessible while sharing current employee stories about why they joined the city workforce.
$400,000 in ARPA funding is going toward the initiative. After a WAMC appearance, Sheehan is inviting anyone looking for work to "Join Albany."
“I was actually on the radio this morning," said Sheehan. "I did Roundtable, and we kind of gave a little sneak preview of what was happening here because I was asked about it. And a senior sent in a letter to the Roundtable saying, Are you hiring seniors? Yes. We are hiring seniors. We are hiring people out of high school. We are hiring people out of college. We want you to see this as a place of choice.”
Officials hope the Join Albany campaign will encourage non-local job seekers to make the city their new home.
