Page 57 - 2024 Westchester Relocation & Moving Guide

Empire State
Orange County
Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress
Newburgh, 845.565.4900; pattern- for-progress.org
Orange County Chamber of Commerce
Montgomery, 845.457.9700; orangeny.com
Orange County Partnership
Goshen, 845.294.2323;
ocpartnership.org
Rockland County
Rockland Business Association
Nyack, 845.735.2100;
rocklandbusiness.org
Rockland Economic Development Corporation Pearl River, 845.735.7040; redc.org
Putnam County
Putnam County Business Council
Mahopac, 845.228.8595; putnamcountybusinesscouncil.org
Putnam County Economic Development Corporation Carmel, 845.808.1021; putnamed.org
Dutchess County
Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce Poughkeepsie; 845.454.1700; dcrcoc.org
Development
esd.ny.gov
845.567.4882 (Mid-Hudson Region office in New Windsor)
Westchester County
The Business Council of Westchester
White Plains, 914.948.2110; thebcw.org
Westchester County Office of Economic Development
White Plains, 914.995.2963; business. westchestergov.com
Westchester County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) White Plains, 914.995.2000; westchestercatalyst.com
LIVING IN WESTCHESTER AND THE HUDSON VALLEY | RELOCATION & MOVING GUIDE 55
policy to promote smart growth in urban centers. The BCW, which has a diverse membership of more than 1,000 businesses and professional organizations, is an information resource for Westchester, as well as a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in county workplaces.
Empire State Development (ESD)
seeks to encourage a growing economy in New York State through job creation and investment. Local economies are supported by real estate development, loans, tax credits, and grants. Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council develops regional strategy and recommends state funding for the region.
Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress
is a not-for-profit policy, planning, advocacy, and research organization whose mission is to promote regional, balanced, sustainable, and equitable solutions that enhance the growth and vitality of the Hudson Valley.
Spotlight on Workforce Development
Westchester County maintains a strong, sector-based strategy for workforce development, emphasizing advanced manufacturing, biosciences, financial technology, and clean energy. Each sector has a task force made up of employers, civic
organizations, and higher-education institutions providing guidance, as well as a “desk” at the county that employers can call for information
on relocating to Westchester or connecting with resources in the sector.
As a result of the emphasis placed on essential industries throughout the pandemic, the skilled trades are gaining in popularity as potential careers in the Hudson Valley, according to The Council of Industry, an association based in Newburgh. Local business groups are working with employers, as well as colleges and vocational schools in the area, to help ensure that there is a pipeline
of workers with the right credentials
to fill these jobs. To introduce young people to jobs that they may not
have considered, the Workforce Development Institute, a statewide nonprofit in Albany, started piloting a career exploration program focused on
general work readiness.
There are also efforts afoot in the
county to encourage young people
to consider entering the healthcare field, where local employers are
citing high demand for workers. Westchester Community Foundation (WCF), for instance, funds a program
at Westchester Community College to recruit and train students for an 11-week boot camp for healthcare occupations.
Helping fuel optimism is $175 million the state set aside for a Workforce Development Initiative in 2019 that will help address some of the challenges the region is facing. The funding was allocated for strategic regional efforts to meet short-term workforce needs, improve talent pipelines, enhance the flexibility and adaptability of local workforce
entities, expand apprenticeships, and address the long-term needs of growing industries.
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