Recent Graduates, Local Employers Celebrate Latest Round of Career Apprenticeship Initiative

SYRACUSE, NY – CenterState CEO; Alan Rottenberg, founder of the Canadian Career Apprenticeship Initiative; Donna Gillespie, CEO of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO); representatives of Syracuse University, SUNY Oswego and Le Moyne College, area employers and recent college graduates gathered in Syracuse to celebrate the most recent round of the Career Apprenticeship Initiative (CAI). The Aug. 27 event at the Collegian Hotel featured remarks from CenterState CEO President Rob Simpson, Alan Rottenberg and SUNY Oswego’s Assistant Vice President for Workforce Innovation and External Relations, Kristi Eck.

“Our region is on a path to new growth. With Micron and its suppliers soon joining our community, it's more important than ever to look at creative solutions to attracting and retaining talent in Central New York. This includes exposing those who come from across the globe to attend college in this region to significant employment opportunities here,” said CenterState CEO President Rob Simpson. “We commend the employers that participated in this pilot program to help meet their talent needs while also providing valuable first-time employment opportunities for recent graduates."

The Syracuse program was the CAI’s first U.S. pilot. It connects recent liberal arts graduates from Central New York’s higher education institutions to a one-year apprenticeship with area employers. Employers receive a $5,000 salary reimbursement for agreeing to hire, mentor and train the student for a year. CenterState CEO members that provided entry level jobs for graduates this year are Crouse Health, LOTTE Biologics, Syracuse Housing Authority and SUNY Upstate Medical University.

“The CAI initiative is an awesome initiative.  We hired a graduate last year who is now a full-time employee of ours. If it wasn’t for the Initiative, this is an individual who we might have missed had he come through our normal hiring process, and we would have missed a great talent,” said American Food & Vending Human Resources Manager Ian Ballard.

American Food & Vending participated in the previous round of the CAI.

The CAI program in Syracuse was modeled on a similar program that has operated successfully in Canada for several years. Around 90% of that program’s participants stay on in full time positions after the apprenticeship period. The Canadian program model illustrated that participating cities can better retain motivated, competent, and capable university graduates who might otherwise depart for bigger cities in search of work when there is direct partnership with employers, who might otherwise overlook candidates with a liberal arts background.

“We imagined our youth, upon graduating from university, launching their careers immediately with full time employment-not in unskilled jobs or living in their parents' basement. Syracuse, like other communities running the apprenticeship program has made the imagined real,” said Rottenberg.

“I want to express our sincere appreciation to the colleges and universities, the employers, the donor and program mentor, and particularly to the graduates taking part in the program. This is the type of innovative program we need to keep creative students in the Central New York region,” said David Mankiewicz, senior adivosr at CenterState CEO. “We hear from members of the business community every day that they struggle to find and recruit talent to fill their job openings. Helping facilitate the CAI program is just one way CenterState CEO is working to find creative solutions that keep talent in Central New York.”

The program is an outgrowth of the relationship between Central New York and Kingston, Ontario, known as the Kingston-Syracuse Pathway. Kingston Syracuse Pathway partners include CenterState CEO, the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO), SUNY Upstate Medical University, the Kingston Health Sciences Center and Queen’s University. The pathway started around common interests, such as cross-border medical research, and broadened into other areas, such as providing “soft landings” for businesses from either country. The idea for the apprenticeship initiative was brought to CenterState CEO by KEDCO CEO Donna Gillespie, who has run the program successfully in Kingston for several years. The apprenticeship program is overseen by the CenterState CEO Foundation, a 501c3 affiliate of CenterState CEO.

About CenterState CEO

CenterState CEO is Central New York’s premier business leadership and economic development organization, committed to creating a region where business thrives, and all people prosper. Its vision is to be recognized as a visionary leader, effective advocate, exceptional employer, and a force for positive outcomes for the community. www.centerstateceo.com

About the CenterState CEO Foundation

CenterState CEO Foundation’s mission is to support CenterState CEO’s charitable, community-focused activities, such as inclusive workplace and workforce development strategies and support for entrepreneurs from historically excluded populations and/or disinvested neighborhoods.

About Kingston Economic Development Corporation

Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO) is the sales and marketing arm for the City of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, committed to long-term economic sustainability. It is a separately incorporated not-for-profit agency governed by a twelve-member board of directors with representation from the business community and municipal council. Its success is based on the attraction of new business, the growth and retention of existing business and tourism opportunities, measured by the resulting economic impact on the community. KEDCO oversees attraction and aftercare, business growth and retention, and startups and entrepreneurship portfolios. www.investkingston.ca

About the Canadian Career Apprenticeship Initiative

CCAI is a national nonprofit organization that launches meaningful careers for new graduates by partnering with leading universities and local economic development organizations to match new graduates with full-time jobs in local companies through an apprenticeship model. Participating cities retain motivated, competent, and capable university graduates who might otherwise depart for bigger cities in search of work. https://www.careerapprenticeships.ca/