The Business Council Announces Winners of Inaugural New York State Workforce Innovation Awards

28
Apr
2022

The Business Council Announces Winners of Inaugural New York State Workforce Innovation Awards

Winners to be Recognized at May 20 Luncheon

ALBANY – The Business Council of New York State announced Thursday the four award winners of the inaugural New York State Workforce Innovation Awards. The awards recognize outstanding workforce development training and education providers, as well as business leaders, focused on developing a strong and diverse talent pipeline.

The award winners include:

  • P-12 Workforce Innovation Award:
    • Baldwin Union Free School District (Baldwin)
  • Higher Education Workforce Innovation Award:
    • State University of New York (SUNY) System (Albany)
  • Non-Profit Workforce Innovation Award:
    • The Guidance Center of Westchester (Mount Vernon)
  • Business Workforce Leadership Award:
    • GlobalFoundries (Malta)

 The award winners will be honored at a May 20th luncheon at the University at Albany’s ETEC Building.

The awards are custom designed by the Welding and Metal Fabrication program at Capital Region BOCES. The event is sponsored this year by National Grid, BBL Companies, and The Building Contractors Association, Inc.

Dr. Shari L. Camhi, Superintendent of Baldwin Union Free School District.

“We are extremely proud to be among the first to be recognized with the Business Council of New York’s Workforce Innovation Award for our Academic Academies program. This accolade speaks to the Baldwin Union Free School District’s commitment to ensuring that all of our students are fully prepared for their future and will make a solid contribution to the local workforce. We have worked diligently to create a program that provides equitable access to invaluable hands-on professional learning experiences and coursework. I would like to thank and congratulate our administrators, faculty, students, and community partners for helping to make our Academies possible for all these years, and we look forward to seeing the program’s continued expansion.” 

Amrika Sieunarine, Director Center for College & Careers

“The Center for College & Careers, a program of The Guidance Center of Westchester, is honored and excited to be awarded the NYS Workforce Innovation Award.  We provide innovative and high-quality sector-based training, job coaching, and assistance with job placement, which transforms the lives of young people in Westchester County, specifically in Mount Vernon. This award is a testament to the commitment of our staff, our youth, our community, and our partners as we collectively work to prepare the next generation of workforce leaders. We are forever grateful to the Westchester Community Foundation for supporting FutureWorks to FutureCareers from the very beginning. Knowing they believed in us, and our students, has made all the difference."

Deborah F. Stanley, Interim SUNY Chancellor

“At SUNY, we believe education is a lifelong journey and there is no time limit on when you can be a student. Instead, people move in and out of the workforce, returning to the classroom each time they are ready to climb higher in, or change, careers. We are proud to receive the Higher Education Workforce Innovation Award because it reinforces that SUNY is tailoring our education model to every worker with a dream. With more than 400 microcredentials teaching job-ready skills aligned with regional and national workforce demand, learning is now faster and more accessible, with a path to more advanced certificates, degrees, and higher paying jobs. Whether you want to learn emerging computer science skills, study a new language or break into the wind energy sector—SUNY can provide the tools you need to explore your interests, expand your knowledge, and meet your career goals. Congratulations to the forward-thinking, hardworking faculty and staff at our campuses and at System Administration who work tirelessly to bring today’s learners closer to their dreams.”

Jordan Steller, Senior Director Human Resources, GlobalFoundries

"Since our inception 13 years ago, GF has been fortunate to partner with local government and education institutions to develop a new generation of high-tech manufacturing workers in Upstate New York. We are incredibly honored to be recognized for our innovative programs and dedication to workforce leadership through the Workforce Innovation Award.”

Voting Process

The Business Council received 38 total applications for the four award categories in advance of the March 27, 2022 application deadline.

The top training and education applicants in each category were designated as “finalists” for the purpose of selecting a winner through voting on social media and The Business Council’s website. The combined online voting campaign was launched on Friday, April 8, and concluded on Friday, April 22, 2022. Voting was featured across multiple social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The campaign had over 40,000 social media impressions, almost 500 shares, and over 1,400 likes of the finalists’ videos created for social media promotion. There were also approximately 1,600 online votes through The Business Council’s website.


The Business Workforce Leadership Award was selected by The Business Council and was not part of the public voting process

 

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The Business Council of New York State has approximately 3,500 members serving over 1 million private-sector workers. Over 70% of our members are small businesses