More to come!

Join an engaging conversation with representatives of NYSERDA, University at Buffalo (UB) and PUSH Buffalo to learn more! Gain insight into UB’s clean energy training, and how they were able to leverage grant funding from NYSERDA to advance sustainable housing and make a difference for West Side residents in Buffalo, NY. 

We all know youth looking to break out of the schools but what happens when we flip the script and break in? Meeting youth where they are at can be most effective when taken both literally and figuratively – individually and holistically creating a career pathway alongside each student based on their strengths, interests, and abilities and meeting the students on-site during study halls, lunch, and even in the classroom. Schenectady County Connects pioneered a partnership with the Capital Region Workforce Development Board, Capital Region BOCES, and local school districts including Schenectady City School District and Mohonasen School District to provide on-site career center services in the schools. This workshop will outline the steps we took to create an avenue for schools to financially support this initiative, networking pathways to elicit buy-in from the districts, and services that we offer as part of the College and Career Transition Services program.

Build to Bloom is a series designed to help organizations infuse a trauma informed, anti racist, (youth centered) approach. After a somatic practice exercise, participants will dive into common language for common ground; examine the history of the urban workforce, the non profit sector and critiques for dismantling the non profit industry. Participants will examine case studies and co develop tailored strategies which will address power dynamics and assist in centering the youth voice. An overview of additional toolkit will provide strategies to center anti racist practices within internal and external organizational communications.

While unemployment rates are at their lowest, returning citizens, individuals with varying abilities, and emerging young adults are still struggling to find gainful employment. At the same time, employers are desperately trying to fill open positions. The time to change the landscape of employment for populations who have oftentimes been underrepresented in the workforce is upon us. This workshop provides a step-by-step discussion on the Business Roundtable Initiative spearheaded by Rockland Works that engaged employers by providing an informative program of relevant, timely, and necessary alternative solutions for effective hiring, developing, and retaining staff in this new era of business. Utilizing a collaborative approach with Rockland Works, Rockland WDB, Rockland Community College, Rockland BOCES, and MindOpen Learning Strategies, "Meeting the Moment: Innovative Solutions for Staffing" provided employers with a much-needed forum to openly discuss their hiring and retention challenges as the presenters highlighted the benefits of employing the untapped job seeker market of returning citizens, individuals with varying abilities, and the emerging young adult population.

Youthful Impact is an entrepreneurial program for capacity-building and workforce development for youth 14-24 years old. Our evidence-based approach and learning activities teach participants how to use business, financial, digital, and 21st century skills to identify and solve real problems in their lives. In this workshop, you will hear from the program manager and coaches as they share their lived experiences and strategies for working with youth with different educational backgrounds and needs. You will also hear from youth as they share their stories gaining the life and work skills they needed to get ahead. Join this session to hear more about our approach to developing life and work skills using our high-tech platform as well as the follow-up coaching sessions for strengthening the participant's entrepreneurial-mindset and readiness for the next step in their ventures, school, or work.

Center for Employment Opportunities' Credible Messenger Initiative (CMI) program employs mentors who share similar lived experiences to our young adult participants and are committed to helping them navigate life challenges while maintaining/boosting program engagement. The interactive workshop will create a restorative circle that promotes community and peer support essential for youth engagement, utilize positive youth development techniques to build strong relationships that enhance program engagement, and share and demonstrate model 1 of the Credible Messenger module ”Engagement” which includes: Introductions, Setting a goal, Learning self control, and Financial survival. 

Employers in most communities are facing a labor shortage and often describe a lack of applicants or applicants that lack the necessary skills required for their vacant positions. Too often, apprenticeships are equated with the trades. The Cybersecurity Youth Apprenticeship Initiative (CYAI) was created to dispel that notion and introduce communities to a learn while you earn model. Funded by the US Department of Labor, CYAI promotes sustainable development of cybersecurity apprenticeship programs for youth aged 16-21 and is administered by ICF. The goal of the initiative is to create at least 900 new cybersecurity apprenticeships for youth by 2024. CYAI works at the local and state level with community colleges, workforce boards, community-based organizations, public school systems, employers, and state agencies to establish partnerships that provide technical assistance and incentive funding to support existing initiatives across the country. Join this interactive session to hear more about CYAI, the components of a Registered Apprenticeship (RAPs), why apprenticeships are a viable solution for employers’ labor needs, and strategies to discuss the benefits of RAPs to employers and youth, even in the face of resistance!

Most students are unaware of local employers, training programs and career pathways that surround them. Expertise Project equips educators and counselors with VR and video research tools needed to introduce students to employers and training programs participating in Expertise Project. Come learn about successful Expertise Projects underway in Upstate New York, sample immersive video content created along local employers and colleges, and learn how the approach can be scaled to support youth programs and raise student awareness across New York State.

Youth-focused programs help youth reach their potential and achieve long-term economic stability. However, keeping youth involved and staying on the path to success is difficult. This workshop will share effective ways to perform a comprehensive review of youth programs. The review will help you incorporate the principles of Positive Youth Development (PYD) and provide strategies to help youth reach their full potential as caring, productive, responsible residents of NYS. PYD is based on innate characteristics and the developmental social needs of youth. Aligning your youth program with PYD principles empowers youth to develop in healthy positive ways, contributing to their development as well as the youth program. This positive focus on youth not only encourages their development but also serves as an incentive for recruitment and retention. Your 360-degree program review will offer a foundation for flexible, evolving programs.

Workforce Development professionals may not consider themselves “project managers” but you may be doing the work of project management in your organization or programs. Do you want to know how to do this work better using a methodology called Agile Project Management? Or are you curious how Agile project management practices can help you deliver your programs more efficiently? This workshop will look at what Agile is all about and how these practices can help grow your organization’s capacity and help you reach more young people in your communities. Learn about the power of Agile, and practice these principles with Annmarie Lanesey, founder and CEO of CanCode Communities, a fast-growing workforce development nonprofit that has scaled from a single program in Albany to programs all across New York State, using the Agile project management principles. This workshop will be interactive using role-playing, improv, and a process called “creative visualization” and “suspension of disbelief” to help participants experience what it's like to lead an Agile workforce project. There will be immersive project practice engaging all workshop participants in role-playing activities when we vision a workforce development program we will try to grow through this practice.

This workshop will explore ways to engage youth through the “Meet Model” (Mentor, Educate, Empower, and Teach). We will explain how these four key components engage youth in education and employment success. This workshop will be facilitated using the four learning styles: visual learning, auditory learning, reading/writing learning, and kinesthetic learning. This will raise awareness that every child learns and retains information differently, enabling the participants to walk away with a skill set to engage students easier to better meet their needs. Mentor- What is mentorship? How to cultivate relationships with youth. Educate- The importance of adequately educating youth on all opportunities that are available to them. Empower- Explore the definition of empowerment. To give and to make. Teach- Teaching vs. Educating. How you teach someone to apply practices to real-world experiences through positive feedback!

Join NHANYS as they walk through a mental health 101 training to better serve the younger population.

The Ulster County Workforce Development Board is leading government agencies, regional priority sector industries, support service providers and community-based organizations in developing a process to identify, prepare, train and place historically excluded workforce populations into high skilled job placements. One identified industry training program is STEPs.

The goal of the STEPs program is to help individuals succeed in starting on a manufacturing career pathway to get a high paying job. For someone interested in entering a technical career, STEPs offers pre-apprenticeship, internships and community college classes that lead to NYS-certified apprenticeship programs, with the goal of some someday becoming master technicians.

STEPs is specially designed to help individuals with disabilities, at-risk youth, youth who are starting their first job or looking to change jobs, and people that have been out of work and want to go back to work. Or if they attended college but did not finish, STEPs will help them start again – and yes, learn math and read technical documents, but have it taught differently. STEPs shows and teach trainees how real tech jobs use math, science, engineering and technology.

Details to come!

Gen Z-ers are not only aware of society's challenges, they want to do something about them. How can your organization tap into this energic force? Leveraging TikTok, Instagram, You Tube and SnapChat. Why? More than half of Gen Z-ers spend four or more hours on social media every single day. In this workshop, we’ll explore successful social media strategies that engaged Gen Z audiences. We'll dig into why these messages attracted the attention of Gen Z and inspired them to action. Finally you will walk away with a road map of when its best to use each platform, with tips and tricks. These actionable ideas will inspire your team to use social media to capture the attention of Gen Z-ers.

Can virtual reality be utilized to attract, train & retain a younger qualified workforce? Hear from youth partners how Transfr VR is strengthening the area’s workforce, using the extensive library of Career Exploration and Job Training Simulation in VR that teach trainees how to master hands-on job skills in manufacturing, construction, automotive, hospitality and other skilled trades. Partners along with Transfr will detail their program and current results, and Transfr will provide additional case studies of other workforce development board implementations throughout the US. 

Capital Region BOCES would like to have three current high school students present a brief overview of their journey in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program to discuss the impact that the SkillsUSA employability framework, work-based learning experiences, internship opportunities and/or starting their own business has impacted them and is preparing them for the workforce of tomorrow.