Workforce Development Institute (WDI) is headquartered in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, and has 10 regional offices throughout New York State ( Capital Region,

Central New York The central region of New York state includes: * Auburn in Cayuga County * Cortland in Cortland County * Oneida in Madison County * Syracuse, the largest city of Central New York, in Onondaga County * Fulton and Oswego in Oswego County ...

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, Lower Hudson Valley,

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, Rochester/Genesee Valley, and

Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...

About

WDI is a statewide non-profit that works to grow and keep good jobs in New York State. WDI uses a range of tools - including ground level information, workforce expertise, and funding - to facilitate projects that build skills and strengthen employer's ability to hire and promote workers. WDI's work often fills gaps not covered by other organizations.

History

WDI began in 2003 as a partner to the New York State

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a national trade union center that is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 61 national and international unions, together r ...

and Area Labor Federations to provide workforce training and education services to regional and local unions. Its role has since evolved and is now focused more broadly on the growth and retention of good jobs in NYS through a variety of mechanisms including partnerships and collaborations with businesses, unions, other non-profits, educational institutions, and government.

Services

Workforce Development

WDI works regionally to identify targeted strategies that address workforce development opportunities and challenges. These strategies can include partnerships, training and/or funding. * ''Regional Solutions'': WDI's strength is its ability to identify trends, quickly fill gaps not covered by other programs, and then move successful programs throughout the state. * ''Interactive Grants Program'': Through a unique grants program, WDI makes investments that lead to workforce development and economic growth. This program is an “interactive” one, where WDI regional staff work directly with a business, union, or other entity to understand the issue at hand, and then help develop a response. Although WDI works in all sectors of the economy, it has a special interest in two growing sectors that hold particular promise in terms of good jobs: Manufacturing and Energy.

Workforce Support

Many issues impact individuals’ capacity, productivity and earnings in the workplace market. WDI provides programs and services to help individuals thrive in the workplace. * ''Child Care Subsidy'' ''Program'': Many families in New York State struggle with the high cost of quality child care even when they are working full-time or nearly full-time. WDI's Child Care Subsidy Facilitated Enrollment Program helps eligible working families apply for financial assistance. WDI staff are available to answer questions and guide families through the application process. In addition, WDI can provide information to aid families in choosing quality, developmentally appropriate care for their children. The subsidy program is currently active in the following counties: Albany,

Schenectady Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

, Rensselaer,

Erie Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 ...

Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States * Marilyn Monroe, actress and model Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...

Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida N ...

, and

Onondaga Onondaga may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Onondaga people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois League * Onondaga (village), Onondaga settlement and traditional Iroquois capit ...

. * ''Employee Assistance Program:'' In today's complex world, balancing work-life issues can be challenging. To that end, WDI works with Employee Services, Inc. to offer a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program to businesses and unions at a reduced rate.

Workforce Enrichment

WDI works to build stronger communities by integrating arts, culture, and thought leadership into workforce development efforts. * ''Arts and Culture'': WDI supports the training of individuals for employment within the arts and culture sector and creative economies, opportunities that provide working people the means to express themselves and represent their own lives through the medium of art and culture, and efforts that capture, celebrate and share diverse artistic and cultural practices focusing on work. * ''Publications:'' ** <
Working Stories - Essays by Reflective Practitioners
/u>, began as an idea from the WDI Executive Director, Ed Murphy, to capture the life stories, lessons learned, and paths taken from a group of individuals involved in workforce development in NYS. This collection of essays is intended to generate dialogue around paths to development and perhaps serve as guideposts to others navigating similar waters. ** Each year the WDI celebrates women and the contributions they make to the workplace through the Women Working calendar that features extraordinary women and their stories.

References

{{reflist

External links

Official web site

Official Facebook page

Official Twitter page
Non-profit organizations based in New York (state) Organizations established in 2004