Career Apprenticeship Initiative Aims To Retain CNY's College-Educated Talent

CenterState CEO; Alan Rottenberg, founder of the Canadian Career Apprenticeship Initiative; the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO); SUNY Oswego, Le Moyne College, Syracuse University; area employers and recent college graduates gathered in Syracuse to celebrate the kick-off of the Career Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI).

The pilot program offers Central New York graduates a one-year apprenticeship with regional employers, with a focus on liberal arts graduates. Employers are offered a $7,500 salary reimbursement for agreeing to hire and train the student for a year. Thus far, the initiative has brought together six employers and students, with plans to continue the program in the next year. Syracuse is the first pilot of the program in the United States.

“This region is a major producer of college educated graduates–there are approximately 140,000 students who attend college here every year (1 in every 10 CNY residents is a college student), with students coming from all over the world to attend college here. However, most of them leave after graduation, despite the significant level of employment opportunities here,” said Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO. 

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