Hempstead, Nassau County Schools Receive $10 Million In Federal COVID Recovery Funds To Expand Job Training
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The labor shortage continues to be a problem for many businesses on Long Island, but there are efforts underway to bridge the gap and match the unemployed with workforce training to fill needed jobs.
You can see the pandemic's toll in the village of Hempstead. Stores never reopened, and jobs were lost.
Now, there's a push to bring quality jobs to communities most impacted so they come back stronger, starting with job training in the fields that are hiring.
"Like hospitality, retail, restaurants and health care," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said.
Nassau County is trying to bridge the gap between labor shortages and those who need jobs, doling out $10 million of federal COVID recovery funds to Hempstead and schools to expand job training to create a deeper pool of qualified workers.
Workers like Ashley Vasquez, who is studying to become an nurse to fill an explosion of openings in health care.
"We live on Long Island. I mean, it's extremely expensive, so, just so that I don't have to move off the island," she told CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff.
Job training is even available in retail.
"Actually teaching people basic math skills, basic how to do an interview, how to talk to people," said John Durso, with the Long Island Federation of Labor.
It's also available in high-paying building trades.
"Such as plumbers, electricians, iron workers, laborers, carpenters, insulators," said Matty Aracich, president of the Building and Construction Trade Council of Nassau/Suffolk.
Training runs from two to five years, and the cost for the trainee?
"Zero," Aracich said. "The opportunity is there. All they have to is basically show up, go through the classes."
The money will help Nassau Community College expand its offerings.
"Phlebotomy, certified nursing assistant, that would lead to potentially a career in nursing or radiological technology. There is also opportunities such as cyber security," Nassau Community College President Dr. Jermaine Williams said. "These are high in-demand jobs that we have desperate need for."
Nassau Community College is planning to open a workforce education center with hundreds of slots for students to learn job skills, providing them with credentials so they can earn while they learn.
Funds will also provide stipends for child care and transportation, which can get in the way of a good job.