CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "Employment"

Employment

by -
0 204
Stock photo

Suffolk County’s One-Stop Employment Center will host a job fair in Selden on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

The event, running from 10 a.m. to noon, will be at the Middle Country Public Library, 575 Middle Country Rd. Advanced registration is required.

Employers scheduled to attend the fair include the Long Island State Veterans Home, Stony Brook University, Europastry, East/West Industries, Northwell Health, Mary Haven Center of Hope, and Long Island Cares, among others. Bring your resume and dress for success!

To register, visit eventbrite.com/e/middle-country-library-job-fair-tickets-227903344037 or call the county employment center at 631-853-6600.

Job seekers in need of proper business attire can contact the center’s Career Couture shop at 631-853-6769.

by -
0 202
Representatives from dozens of different employers came to Suffolk County Community College last week for a free job fair hosted by Mario Mattera and Nick Caracappa. Photo by Sara McGiff

By Sara McGiff

Time to get to work!

On Friday, Nov. 19, state Senator Mario Mattera (R-St. James), New York State Assemblyman Doug Smith (R- Holbrook) and Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (R-Selden) joined together to host a special Long Island Job Fair at Suffolk County Community College.

From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. people from across the county visited the Babylon Student Center and spoke with representatives from dozens of different employers face-to-face. 

Mario Mattera and Nick Caracappa. Photo by Sara McGiff

Booths adorned names from all categories of jobs such as the U.S Army, Sportime Tennis Academy, and even Finishing Trades Institute of NY, Painters & Allied Trades. Representatives were able to answer questions to interested visitors, in hopes that it would spark an interest. 

The atmosphere was energetic, and the stream of potential employees didn’t cease until the job fair was close to ending.  

According to Mattera, the job fair was for those who lost their jobs from the recent government mandates, the COVID-19 pandemic and to help boost the economy.  

“Without labor, our economy fails,” he said. “Our goal here is to make sure they, especially the people who lost their jobs, come here and maybe find a new career.” 

Caracappa remarked how the turnout for the job fair was outstanding and showed the need from both sides for employment opportunities. 

“We made this free,” he said. “We didn’t charge vendors, we’re not charging the community to come here. This is all about opportunity for both sides.”

by -
0 55
Help wanted sign in window

By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

Here is a possible answer to a couple of current questions. How to deal with the thousands of Afghans we have brought to our country ahead of the Taliban takeover and also those refugees from Central and South America who have massed at our border? That is one question. Another is how to respond to the ever-widening gap between the rising need for home health care workers and hospital aides, and the aging of the current United States population who will need such services?  And there are other such industries that urgently need workers, where there are not enough Americans to fill them.

Some of the immigrants may be well-educated or have needed skills. Those can probably be settled readily into American locations after they have been vetted and vaccinated. For those without obvious skills, the government will need to offer training, including English classes. The newcomers could be given a choice of what work they would want to do. Some may be or would like to be farmers, and we certainly need more workers in agriculture. Some may already be carpenters or landscapers or roofers or mechanics. If they can drive, we might be able to prepare them to drive trucks or buses, jobs that are going begging today. Perhaps they could help moving companies, which are understaffed and leaving customers stranded in their new homes waiting for their furniture to arrive. Some could help veterinarians, who are hugely overworked now by the many new pet owners who wanted companionship during the pandemic and acquired dogs, cats and other domestic creatures. 

Child care is a field that needs more workers. Mental health practitioners, overwhelmed by those experiencing anxiety, depression and stress could certainly use non-managerial help. So could both be teaching and non-teaching educational services, and sawmills turning out lumber for new construction and renovation, and textile mills trying to meet the sudden demand for back-to-school and back-to-work clothing places to welcome help. We have a desperate shortage of nurses in our country, both PNs and RNs. Hospitals, now newly reduced in their staffing because of the vaccine mandates, probably need help with basic services.

All of these positions, of course, would need varying degrees of training, and that in turn would offer new teaching jobs to the currently unemployed. Such programs would be no small task to organize, but it was doable during the Great Depression almost a century ago, and we can surely again put people to work where they are needed. Some of the jobs would be easier to prepare for than others. All could improve our economy, especially in areas with stagnant growth, and perhaps meet urgent needs.

I wonder if the federal government is thinking strategically when they place thousands of refugees in select communities. Currently, some 37,000 Afghans are at military installations in 10 states while other evacuees remain at overseas bases waiting to be processed, according to Nayla Rush, writing for the Center for Immigration Studies on Sept. 23. In total, the Biden administration has reported that over 100,000 Afghans were evacuated.

The top ten states receiving the newcomers, according to the Center, are California (5255), Texas (4481), Oklahoma (1800), Washington (1679), Arizona (1610), Maryland (1348), Michigan (1280), Missouri (1200), North Carolina (1169) and Virginia (1166). To coordinate this mammoth resettlement, President Joe Biden (D) appointed former Delaware Governor Jack Markell. He is also the former chairman of the National Governors Association and has held top positions in the private sector. 

“Nine religious or community-based organizations have contracts with the Department of State to resettle refugees inside the United States,” according to the Center, and they have final say on the distribution. These agencies, in turn, maintain nationwide networks of local affiliates to provide the necessary services. State and local officials are not involved and have no control over the program. Refugees are not resettled in states that do not have any local affiliates, which explains why some areas are skipped. 

Our country has a need of workers. Potential workers are entering the United States in significant numbers. Together that creates opportunity. We need some thoughtful and skilled management here.

by -
0 150
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. File photo by Alex Petroski

By David Luces

Suffolk County has been working toward reducing inmate populations through programs to give people who have been incarcerated a new lease on life.

On Jan. 2 county officials announced the completion of the Suffolk Fresh Start program which has helped assist more than 100 formerly incarcerated individuals find employment after their release.

Over the past two years, after receiving a $489,901 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, the county’s Department of Labor has administered Suffolk’s Fresh Start program with the county’s Sheriff’s Office and Eastern Suffolk BOCES. Its main goal was to try and provide employable skills and vocational training to incarcerated individuals.

‘Having gainful employment is one of the factors that can reduce recidivism.’

— Errol Toulon

County Executive Steve Bellone (D) said in a press release the county has created a successful criminal justice model to reduce recidivism and protect taxpayers.

“This program is giving people a second chance to become productive members of society, strengthening families and saving Suffolk taxpayers millions,” he said.

More than 350 individuals were enrolled in the Fresh Start program where they were given resources and training to address any possible barriers to employment. They were also registered with the county’s One-Stop Employment Center in Hauppauge.

The employment center supplies job-seeking individuals with the tools necessary for a self-directed or staff-assisted job search. There they can receive help with creating or editing résumés, navigate the internet for potential jobs and be interviewed by prospective employers on-site.

“The program has changed people’s lives,” said county spokesperson Derek Poppe.

Since 1999, New York State’s prison population has declined by 35 percent, according to a report from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision released Jan. 1. The report said since 2011, the state has eliminated 5,500 prison beds and closed a total of 13 correctional facilities. The number of male inmates in maximum security prisons has been reduced from 24,151 in 2009 to 20,173 in 2019.

Suffolk has two jail facilities. One is the Riverhead facility which was intended to hold 529 inmates in maximum security cells and 240 in medium security cells, according to a 2008 county report. The facilities in Yaphank included a minimum-security jail that had cell space for 504 inmates, and a DWI Alternative facility for 54 inmates.

Since 2010 the county’s jail population has decreased drastically. Newsday’s data on Long Island’s jail population shows a fall from 1,609 in 2010 to 1,157 in 2016. The decrease has been mostly in inmates at the Riverhead facility.

Poppe said Bellone was against the construction of a new jail facility, and programs like Fresh Start work to keep inmates from committing further crimes.

“Many of these individuals were able to find work in the construction, manufacture and telemarketing field,” Bellone’s spokesperson said.

Even though the grant from the Department of the Labor expired in December 2018, Poppe said there are plans in place to continue the programs through internal county funds and possibly funds from the federal government.

‘This program is giving people a second chance to become productive members of society, strengthening families and saving Suffolk taxpayers millions.’

— Steve Bellone

The number of people in Suffolk’s jails is strained by a lack of corrections officers in both Riverhead and Yaphank. County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. (D) told TBR News Media in July 2018 the county was dealing with a large amount of corrections officer vacancies, saying at the time there were 76 positions left unfilled with 30 new officers being added as early as August that same year.

The sheriff said in a press release that Fresh Start gives county inmates opportunity and hope following incarceration.

“Having gainful employment is one of the factors that can reduce recidivism, and we are fortunate to have Department of Labor staff working with us to improve outcomes for those transitioning from jail to our communities,” Toulon said.

By repurposing existing internal funds Poppe said the county plans on having Department of Labor staffers work in conjunction with the correctional facilities in future, adding, “We want to continue to run this
successful program.”

by -
0 1878
Northport High School students practice their interview skills with exectuives from local businesses during an event thrown by the Northport High School Academy of Finance. Photo from Bob Levy

Northport High School Academy of Finance students put their interview skills to the test this month at a mock interview event where they received feedback from local executives.

About 35 administrators from Long Island companies including Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., KPMG accounting firm, Douglas Elliman, and MetLife Premier Client Group all gave students advice on what they should be communicating in an interview, how to act professional and how to dress, according to a press release.

“Our students took all the necessary preparations for this interviewing event,” Allison Schwabish, coordinator of the school’s Academy of Finance, said in statement. “We impressed on them that in order to get the internships that they will be applying for as a part of our program they will need to polish their interviewing skills.”

Schwabish said the 80 students who participated in the event on Jan. 14 went through a series of “speed interviews” where they worked on not only interview skills, but networking skills.

“This mock interview event was the perfect taste of precisely what we will face when conducting interviews in the business world, which is something that will definitely aid use in our future endeavors,” senior Emilie Reynolds said in an email.

Jake Sackstein, a fellow senior student, echoed Reynold’s sentiments.

“A year ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed about comfortably partaking in an interview, but now personal business interactions like this come as second nature,” he said. “It showed me how valuable the program is to me and I will continue to draw strength from it in the future.”

Northport High Schools’ Academy of Finance is a part of NAF, formerly known as the National Academy Foundation, a network of career-themed academies for high school students that includes multiple industries such as hospitality and tourism, engineering and the health science industry.

Student John Charles Unser said he appreciated the opportunity to work with so many prominent businesses.

“I was able to interview with Fortune 500 companies such as KPMG and Ameriprise Financial Services,” he said in an email. Unser said he was asked many difficult questions but was “able to provide appropriate examples and answer with professionalism.”

by -
0 5108
Campus Dining student employees gather for spring 2016 training. Photo from Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University is putting its students to work both inside and outside the classroom.

The university announced this week that it was turning up the heat at its on-campus dining services, where student payroll wages went up 32 percent thanks to an employment increase of 22 percent over the past year. The school has made on-campus hiring a greater priority over the past year, a spokeswoman said, because of research studies stating that it not only helped them raise money, but become better students as well.

Research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed that part-time campus jobs not only raise cash, but also can help raise students’ grade-point averages. Campus dining services student employees collectively earned $663,912 – earning a competitive average wage of $9.40 per hour – and maintained an average 3.27 GPA during the fall 2015 semester, Stony Brook University said in a statement.

“We applaud campus dining for taking this approach as these student employees will develop transferrable skills that can apply in a variety of work environments and position students for career-relevant internships and full time jobs,” said Marianna Savoca, director of the career center at Stony Brook. “The career center works with hundreds of employers from every industry sector — they want candidates with workplace skills and experience — and that’s what our student employment program aspires to create.”

More than 220 students were on campus last week for on-site training for various positions they will occupy over the coming year — and they’re still hiring, the university said.

The university’s campus dining services employed more than 450 students in the fall of 2015, a spokeswoman for the university said. Over the past year, Stony Brook students worked an average of 22 hours each week across various positions that go beyond just the kitchens and dining spots, the spokeswoman said.

“They work in marketing, social media, event planning and Web, and often interact directly with managers, chefs, university personnel and the public,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.

“Working for campus dining has allowed me to improve my communication skills with customers, staff, and teammates, all while giving me the freedom to use my creativity and experience to work towards a common goal,” said David Golden, a CDS marketing intern and business marketing major who plans to graduate in May 2017.

Campus dining services student employees receive thorough training in customer service, time management, food safety, communication, special food needs training and social media, the university said. A total of seven student employees have received AllerTrain food allergy training, and nearly 90 student employees have earned a Suffolk County Food Handler’s Certificate.

Kareema Charles is an example that a student position at Stony Brook can lead to a full-time job. After graduating from Stony Brook University with a degree in journalism, Charles was hired to serve as a management trainee helping to produce The Seawolves Food Show, an online video series developed by the University’s Faculty Student Association in collaboration with journalism students to help the campus community learn more about campus dining programs.

Prior to graduation, Charles worked as a student producer for The Seawolves Food Show.

“I never imagined that my student job would turn into a full time position after graduation,” said Charles. “Stony Brook’s School of Journalism gave me all the skills I needed for my current position, while the University’s Faculty Student Association gave me the opportunity to use those skills in a real world setting. Stony Brook made the transition from college life into every day work life really easy.”

TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©