In our “Focus on” series, WorkingNation looks at cities and towns around the U.S. – featuring the ideas and efforts that are creating jobs and giving opportunity for family-sustaining wages and economic mobility. In this article in the series, we Focus on Jamestown, New York.
With Manufacturing Month just having wrapped up a few days ago, Jamestown, New York – in the western part of the state – is all in, all year round. Local business leaders see a growing manufacturing industry, but like many communities, finding the workforce to fill new jobs remains a challenge. From the top down, they’re working to change that dynamic.
In Chautauqua County, where Jamestown is located, 14% of the residents age 16 and older work in manufacturing, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Mayor Kimberly A. Ecklund, herself, comes from 34 years of finance and cost accounting in the manufacturing sector and, as the second woman ever elected mayor of Jamestown, she’s wrapping up the first year of her four-year term.
Ecklund says, “Manufacturing, the tourist arts, and health care are the three biggest components of our area, for sure.” In addition to its many manufacturers, Jamestown is the birthplace of Lucille Ball and home to the National Comedy Center, as well as UPMC Chautauqua, which is part of a national health care system.
Ecklund set a goal for herself when she took office – meeting with all the businesses in the town of 28,000 people by the end of this year. Given her professional background, it’s not surprising she started with the local manufacturing sector. But something did surprise Ecklund – the collaborative nature of the local business leaders.
“I’m amazed at this community. The small mom-and-pop wood manufacturer might have 30 employees. They bought one of those expensive machines and they went and looked at other manufacturers – and they partnered.
“If they don’t have time to run a job, they sometimes share amongst each other. It was impressive for me to see the amount of sharing going on and what was happening in communication amongst manufacturers, as well, helping drive the whole industry,” adds Ecklund.
Despite that level of cooperation, she acknowledges that manufacturing still carries a stigma. “We need to really educate people, including adults who may now have a career change or may have lost their job, and who are looking for something different. There’s opportunity in manufacturing.
“It’s not what it was a hundred years ago. It’s not get down, get dirty.”
A Rich and Resilient History of Manufacturing
Jamestown’s first furniture factory was built in 1825.
“A lot of the companies that are here today are outgrowths of prior manufacturing companies, or you could say direct descendants of manufacturing interests over the past couple hundred years,” explains Todd Tranum, executive director of the Manufacturer’s Association of the Southern Tier (MAST) and president of Dream It Do It Western New York (DIDIWNY).
Chautauqua County’s proximity to population centers like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Toronto is a draw for manufacturers. Among the many companies in Jamestown – Cummins’ Jamestown Engine Plant, Blackstone Advanced Technologies, Artone, eSolutions Furniture, and New Flyer.
Tranum notes, “Our community is resilient. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs over the decades. Our manufacturers have weathered some pretty hard storms, whether that be recession or other economic challenges. Those sorts of situations forced companies to innovate, think differently about their products and their capabilities, and make adjustments to the newer and emerging opportunities.”
That flexibility and adaptability can open a lot of doors in the industry. However, he adds, companies are faced with the challenge of replacing their retiring employees.
“When we poll our members, it is currently the largest, most significant challenge they’re having. Some companies have opportunities to grow, but their growth is limited by the fact that they can’t find the people they need to fill these positions.
“Western New York has not had an enormous amount of population growth. We’re looking at the demographics and we’re realizing at some point those baby boomers are going to exit our workforces.”
Dream It Do It Western New York
Calling manufacturing the area’s “economic backbone,” Tranum says serious efforts have been put into place to ensure a solid workforce in the future.
“We realized we needed to get embedded more in the schools, working with students and educators, and really energizing that early talent pipeline.
“Our Manufacturer’s Association started Dream It Do It Western New York as an initiative to help our members build stronger relationships and connections with students in our high schools and middle schools throughout our county and now into the broader region.”
Tranum says Dream It Do It originated with The Manufacturing Institute but says the initiative evolved into “a different brand and a different approach. We stuck with the Dream It Do It name and, with their support, were able to still use it because we had embedded it and had the brand out there.”
He says it’s key to give young students access to applied hands-on learning, “We’re not just talking heads talking about these abstract careers. We’re actually working with the kids and working on projects, and then making the equation between what they’re doing and specific careers in the manufacturing sector.”
Tranum says the Dream It Do It program is partnership-based with its “connectivity with industry” and takes advantage of existing infrastructure to teach the students – in postsecondary institution, community college, and high school settings.
Programming is offered in various ways – being held during the high school day, on the weekend, and in the summer.
The mayor says Dream It Do It is introducing young girls to the sector – an industry that has historically been male-dominated. Again given her own background, Ecklund has spoken at Girls in Manufacturing – a sub-initiative – “designed to empower and encourage girls to consider careers in manufacturing.”
As the father of three daughters, Tranum reiterates, “This is not just guys’ work. Everybody is capable of doing this work and they can have a great career.”
Ecklund notes, “I’m a huge advocate for ‘we never stop learning.’”
The mayor is involved with youth mentoring in her community, “Not all of them are meant to go to college. So, we try to gear them towards those manufacturing facilities. We partner with local colleges to get them trained.
“[It] doesn’t mean you’re going to be standing on a line putting something in a box. There’s CNC work. There’s drafting work. There’s other things. Everybody deserves a place to work and not have a stigma with it.”
Different Paths for Different People
Jamestown Community College (JCC) is a two-year college, but also has four-year programs. JCC has a partnership with SUNY Fredonia that allows JCC students to complete their associate degrees in two years and then continue for an additional two years to obtain their bachelor’s degrees in select programs.
Holger Ekanger, vice president for workforce development at JCC, says as a community partner, the institution works with local business to help create strategies for talent attraction and retention. These can be geared toward those students pursuing one-year and two-year credentials, but he says, there is also a more immediate need for talent.
“That’s where workforce development comes in to really look at how do we develop customized short-term programs that allow individuals to get the skill sets for a job in weeks, if not a couple of months,” explains Ekanger.
“These are programs that are basically full-time. They attend typically Monday through Friday. It’s like going to a job.
“Those short-term programs have been developed with input from employers and we’re bringing in industry experts to teach, or we’re using our own faculty or instructors to teach those programs. And then employees are hiring as well on the backend.”
Ekanger continues, “We talk about making sure the students understand what is expected of them, that the employers are coming in at an early stage of the process to provide an overview of jobs that are available in industry. We connect employers to the students coming out of the program. We have interview days. We have employers coming in to hire.”
He echoes the mayor’s ‘never stop learning’ philosophy when it comes to students who have participated in short-term programming, “While their primary goal is to get a sustainable-wage job and economic mobility, we embed credit into the program.
“So, should they want to come back after they’ve been in the job, they have already earned credit towards that certificate and the degree. When they start at an employer, they can take advantage of some of the reimbursement mechanisms that an employer has to help incentivize their employees going back to school.”
In-Demand Careers in Manufacturing and Beyond
There is high demand for a number of manufacturing pathways, including welding, machining and CNC, robotics controls, mechatronics, industrial maintenance, and green jobs and many of JCC’s workforce development programs have a 90% successful completion rate, according to Ekanger.
Jessica Kubiak, Ph.D., vice president of academic affairs at JCC, says the school recently embedded addressing workforce needs in the community into its mission statement.
She points out the demand for workers isn’t exclusive to manufacturing in the region, but in health care, as well. “We’re seeing a big need in terms of entry-level positions across the board. Everything from LPN-trained folks who can do some level of nursing. There’s a big need for pharmacy techs right now. There’s a need for direct support professionals (DSP) providing support for folks with developmental disabilities.”
Cecil Miller, vice president of operations at health care provider UPMC Chautauqua, echoes Kubiak, “The nursing shortage is a national issue. We’re fortunate because we have Jamestown Community College here. That’s been great for us to be able to fill the roles. We still have some openings, but I think we’re in a lot better place than a lot of hospitals our size that are in rural areas.
“Respiratory therapy is an area that we’ve struggled with filling those roles. We have enough staff now, but we’d like to be able to plan for retirements and succession planning.”
Miller adds, “We also work closely with BOCES with their phlebotomy program – an entry-level job that we love to see folks getting into health care one way or another. They often move on to another career in health care. We actually have that school right on our campus, and one of our employees is the instructor for that program. That’s been really beneficial, not only for us, but for the whole area.”
Regardless of the industry, both Kubiak and Ekanger say it’s important that workers see an upward trajectory toward economic mobility.
Ekanger notes, “The challenge is how do you look at jobs in the industry that are very much the lower end of wages, and to what extent can we provide a pathway for those individuals that as they continue their training, continue their education, and that are leading to those higher paying jobs?
“There’s a lot of unique approaches to how do you retain people maybe with some incentives, maybe you pay for completion of certain credentials or certifications. So, there’s a lot of different work that happens in that space, but health care and any other company or industry is the same thing. How do you retain the talent once they’re in the door? And how do you invest in them in training and upskilling?”
Part of that investment comes in the form of support services for JCC students as they work toward their credentials, including needs around transportation, childcare, emergency situations. “We have community foundations that are awarding scholarships. There are so many students that can attend these programs at no cost and be supported in the process addressing barriers and obstacles,” says Ekanger.
Innovation in Motion
“When I got into manufacturing in 1991, I had no idea what I was getting into. I had never really worked in manufacturing, but I needed a job,” explains Rhonda Johnson, president and co-owner of Weber Knapp, which manufactures products for industry, offices, and homes.
Searching for work, Johnson ended up starting at Weber Knapp on the second shift assembly and later took advantage of the company’s tuition reimbursement program. While working, Johnson earned her associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees.
She explains, “I just worked my way through the company. I couldn’t believe that you could work for one company and have literally dozens and dozens and dozens of opportunities.
“Whether it’s on the shop floor, welding, laser cutting, working on progressive dies, powder coating, plating, assembly, or you get into the office – you like working with people, maybe HR is your forte or accounting, purchasing – there are just so many things to do that there’s no reason to ever leave manufacturing, so I didn’t.”
With more than 100 employees in two facilities in Western New York, including Jamestown, Johnson says, “Our tagline is actually ‘innovation in motion.’ If it moves, we can make it better.
“We attend a lot of trade shows. We publish blogs. We market heavily to all the industries we serve to try to capture other customers in those industries. But we also move to other industries where there’s motion. Agriculture, for example. There’s a lot of movement in agricultural machines and even in barns, things that could help people.”
She says it’s crucial for the company to evolve, but retain the human component, “Thirty years ago, we did not have robotic welders which we have now, and they are fantastic. I could go downstairs and run the robotic welders. However, it takes somebody skilled to be able to program those welders.”
Inspiring a New Generation in Manufacturing
Johnson says her company is proactive about reaching out to young students to introduce them to manufacturing,
“When I got my first job in manufacturing, my mother was worried for me because she never knew anything about manufacturing. Her nervousness made me think, ‘Oh gosh, now when I get there, can you go to the bathroom without an escort? What’s it like? Am I going to lose a finger on the first night or will it be next week?’ All these horror stories because people really don’t know.
“So, this company got involved years ago with Dream It Do It and through that program we’ve been able to bring in kids as young as eighth grade. We do several school tours a year.”
Johnson is also inspired by a very close connection – her eight-year-old grandson. “He says, ‘Grandma, I want to come. I want to do job shadowing. I’m not too young.’
“The next day I went down to HR, and I said, ‘My grandson had an idea, and we got to make it happen. Kids ages eight to 12 – let’s bring them in for a full day job shadowing plant tours. We’ll give them lunch. We’ll make a STEM project with them. And I’m going to have my grandson lead it. He’ll do the opening speech.'”
The idea sparked by her grandson, became a day-long plant visit. Says Johnson, “It was such a huge success.”
Pathways to Employment for People with Disabilities
Jamestown-based The Resource Center (TRC) supports individuals with disabilities and other challenges in achieving maximum independence, contributing to their community, experiencing lifelong growth, and enjoying quality of life.
Ecklund says TRC is a very strong presence in the community.
“It does work with people with disabilities on all levels. Everybody can be taught a job that is willing and able, and you just have to give them the job that they’re capable of. We have hired people – where I’ve worked and even here, who may have some disabilities – to do jobs,” explains the mayor.
The programming is customized depending on the person, the disability, and the level of support needs, explains TRC’s Terri Johnson, director of employment and community-based services.
Miller of health care provider UPMC Chautauqua says it is currently working with eight students from TRC.
“It’s a yearlong program where we train them for anything from food service to housekeeping to grounds, and then hopefully we have a position available for permanent employment. We’re on our third year of that. And that’s been very successful both for us and for the students,” says Miller.
TRC, itself, also employs direct service professionals, a position mentioned by JCC’s Kubiak. Johnson says, “We have a large number of group homes within our organization – 30 or 35 of them. It’s homes where people with disabilities live. We have DSPs that work in those homes that provide the daily care and needs of the individuals that live in those homes.”
Considering the widespread manufacturing presence in Jamestown, it’s not surprising that The Resource Center has programming with that particular focus.
“Allied Industries, a division of TRC, has been a supplier to the U.S. Armed Forces for over 30 years. TRC/Allied also manages more than a dozen sub-contract work projects,” according to the TRC website.
Johnson says of TRC’s in-house manufacturing facility, “It’s running big industrial sewing machines and the work that they do is for the U.S. government for the people in the armed forces to keep them safe when they’re in combat.
“It’s a pretty miraculous job for people to do. They’re very proud of the work that they do. So that is unique for us.”
Johnson says TRC also addresses the issue of retention, whether for an outside employer or for its own employees. She says it can be challenging to navigate the landscape of support services in the community.
“There’s a lot of resources available, but people don’t know how to do it because it’s very complicated. They’re always open during the traditional business hours when people are working. So, we have a team of coaches – eight full-time coaches. That’s their job is to retain employment for people.
“It was kind of a big ‘aha’ moment that we had a few years back of needing to invest in our workforce,” recalls Johnson.
It’s Just the Beginning
Even with Jamestown’s significant focus on workforce development, Ecklund concludes her conversation with WorkingNation by saying even more can and needs to be done.
“I think we’re a city who doesn’t realize our potential and doesn’t realize what we have. The cost of living is reasonable here. Let’s do what we can to get that workforce development up.”
WorkingNation producer Deidra White contributed to the reporting for this article.
