Organization now providing services in Rochester, Mohawk Valley, Albany and beyond
By Deborah Jeanne Post
Manufacturing Association of Central New York — “MACNY”— may need to change its name as it continues to grow beyond just a few local counties.
The organization’s two main programs, Advance 2 Apprenticeship and Real Life Rosies, help prepare workers for skilled manufacturing positions in the region. These programs have proven so successful that MACNY has expanded beyond Syracuse to include Rochester, the Mohawk Valley, Oswego, Albany and Binghamton by partnering with organizations such as the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA), Center for Economic Growth (CEG), and the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, and a statewide network of employer and educational provider partners.
We recently sat down with Randy Wolken, president and CEO, to discuss the organization’s growth trajectory.
Q: What’s causing the growth at MACNY?
A: We’re in talent development. We have the Manufacturing Talent Institute, which we launched. We’re seeing a big growth in people seeking apprenticeships. We have 20% of all non-trade apprentices in New York. We also launched the Real Life Rosies pre-apprenticeship program. And there’s career advancement. We’re doing these statewide. We also have companies who want to work with us. We opened an office in the Mohawk Valley because we had so many companies who wanted to work with us. They see the services we provide and they can network with each other. We advocate for them at the statewide level. It’s industry growth and our specific talent development programs.
Q: Is this long-term or short-term growth?
A: It won’t stop. We see significant investment in talent growth for the future. We’re on the cutting edge of that.
Q: Which came first, MACNY’s expansion or manufacturing’s resurgence?
A: We like to think we’ve helped in manufacturing’s resurgence and make sure the state has good policies. Some have panned out for New York state as we remind public officials that manufacturing is a huge leverage opportunity. There are usually five to eight connected jobs in manufacturing and eight in semiconductors. It’s a huge return on investment. For a while, our country nearly forgot and shipped those jobs overseas. We’re starting to remember. We want advanced manufacturing jobs that pay well and are good for families. These are the jobs we want and we want to focus on these.
Q: How will the growth in manufacturing affect the economy?
A: Growing manufacturing was how China grew. People now understand why these jobs are important. You produce something of great value; it isn’t just services. Innovation happens when you produce a product. We’ll see that. Companies that innovated here and produced overseas are bringing it back here. We’re riding a wave as a state and we’re catching that wave. We like to think we’re a part of it at MACNY. I’ve been doing this 25 years and I’ve never seen such an upbeat time for manufacturing. It’s generational. It’s all across the Thruway and I think it’s long-term. But nothing’s a given. We need to sustain it through policy and good company investment. But I’ve never seen such growth, both reinvestment and new companies.
Q: How are apprenticeships helping?
A: We have people who are 19 and 72 who have apprenticeships. If you want to go to college, great. But if you want to go right to work, companies are making those investments. They will pay for all your learning. We lost a great talent — who hopefully will come back — because of decades of a system that wasn’t economically fulfilling. We’re going to have to see schools offer more things for education. We have 30 different apprenticeship pathways, not just plumbing or welding. When we talk about what’s coming, apprenticeships are going through the roof. More and more companies are getting involved and more people are looking at career changes and going into them right out of school. Going to college makes sense for some and going to work where they’ll pay for your education keeps people out of debt. We’ll see blue collar flourishing again.
Q: What will keep the momentum going?
A: We’ve got to allow companies to make investments quickly. These business opportunities have a window they have to get through. We have to as communities allow them to grow because opportunities are quick. It’s called “speed to investment.” We need to be speedy enough to allow them to make these investments. There was a time when we didn’t need to move quickly with infrastructure and other things. We need to focus on being growth –oriented.
MACNY’s Mission Statement:
“MACNY is the voice and business solution leader for manufacturers in Central and Upstate New York. Through our collective expertise and leadership, we are able to speak uniformly and with authority on the issues impacting manufacturers.
“MACNY is the primary resource for business solutions that enable members to operate more effectively and profitably. MACNY services include advocacy/government relations, workforce development, training and leadership development, networking events, HR consulting and energy purchasing programs.
“MACNY, The Manufacturers Association serves over 300 businesses and organizations across New York including industrial manufacturing companies and non-industrial service providers that support the manufacturing community. MACNY members supply the region, nation, and world with a variety of products and services.”
