By Stefan Yablonski
Some businesses are experiencing staffing shortages; company leaders are struggling to find workers to fill manufacturing openings.
In a recent survey of more than 400 U.S. executives, about 80% said that a shortage of sufficiently skilled workers will affect their companies.
“A lot of older workers are retiring — also the unprecedented growth that we are seeing is adding to the problem,” said Colleen Blagg, MACNY’s manager of corporate services and workforce development. “Besides Micron, we have a lot of other growth happening at the same time,” she added. “[The worker shortage] is not just a problem in Central New York. It is also a nationwide problem.”
P-tech is a long-term strategy for companies to build their talent pipeline.
“Companies need to recognize that their future workforce is deciding on a career path in middle school, Blagg said. “Companies really need to start recruiting for their future workforce now — and not wait for the college career fairs.”
MACNY has a signature event every year called Manufacturing Month.
“It used to be just a day, but for us it’s the entire month of October,” she said. “We bring hundreds of local students to meet manufacturing facilities for tours. We took a lot of kids to Byrne [Dairy] last year and they all got to sample the ice cream.
“A lot of kids think of manufacturing as kind of dead-end jobs, dirty jobs. That is not the case anymore. Getting them exposed to today’s opportunities is really key. They are hi-tech, highly skilled and lucrative career pathways. We are working to have a highly trained workforce ready in time for Micron opening — but also for others as well.”
Novelis has not seen any impacts or issues with staffing shortages, according to Susan Cole, communications lead.
Finding the right candidates is always a challenge.
“It has been a challenge since COVID-19 trying to find qualified people who want to work,” said Tim McKernan, EJ USA facility manager.
“We are working with local schools, offering tours and classes at our facility, job shadows, mentoring students, industry challenges and attending job fairs. We are very active with CiTi BOCES welding and CiTi P-TECH. Summer internships have been very successful for us with a number of them turning into permanent jobs,” he said.
CiTi recognizes that workforce shortages continue to challenge many businesses across Central New York. Through a variety of Career Technical Education programs and services, they are actively working to address this issue by preparing individuals with the skills that are most in demand by regional employers.
“We offer a wide range of career training programs — from healthcare and advanced manufacturing to construction and commercial driving — that are designed in partnership with local businesses to ensure our graduates are job-ready,” said Brian Heffron, administrator of Workforce Development & Community Relations. “In addition, we provide adult literacy services, workforce certifications and customized training to meet specific employer needs.”
CiTi also works closely with economic development partners, chambers of commerce and employers themselves to create strategic partnerships that connect skilled workers with available jobs more efficiently, according to Heffron.
“Our goal is to not only fill immediate staffing needs but also to help build a strong, sustainable talent pipeline for the future,” he added.
“Actually, for the first time in several years, we have all our seats filled and I’m looking to acquire more equipment,” said George Joyce, CEO of Laser Transit, Ltd., a third party logistics company based in Lacona.
“This was happening before the tariff tumult, but I expect other trucking operations like container freight forwarders from the ports, parcel carriers and others in the retail fulfillment space to experience significant layoffs.
They do some cross-border shipments between Canada and the US and they will likely be affected as well.
“I know there are seasonal factors that come into play, but in general, I think many small businesses will be delaying hiring and capex spend until more certainty in the economy, interest rates and their customers’ buying behaviors are clearer,” he added.
Anecdotally, I have an office position opening as well and have had at least a dozen applicants apply. Our rural location doesn’t usually lend itself to having such a large pool of candidates.
“It’s hard to attract entry level workers. Plus (companies) have to retain their skilled workers so that they can help train the new workers,” Blagg said. “We have been working with manufacturers to help them develop those training programs. It can be expensive to train your incoming workers. There are some resources in our area to help defray that cost, like Oswego County Workforce Development; the local community colleges are also great resources. A lot of companies are starting to adopt apprenticeship programs. We’ve seen a lot of success with that; the apprentices are more likely to stay with the company.”
The ‘will to work’ is disappearing
According to an article on Moneywise — concerns about a lack of job-ready skills have dominated workforce debates. However, Mike Rowe, CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, is pointing to another crisis — a diminishing desire to work.
“The skills gap is real, but the will gap is also real,” said the 63-year-old former TV host.
According to him, 6.8 million “able-bodied men” are not just unemployed but not even seeking employment.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that women’s participation in the workforce has remained relatively stable since the early-1990s.
However, men’s participation has steadily declined.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, men between the ages of 25 and 54 saw their labor force participation rate drop from 98% in September 1954 to 89.1% in March 2025.
Notably, 28% of these men said they were not working by choice, validating Rowe’s claim that the desire for employment has diminished. However, the survey also found that 57% of prime-age men cite mental or physical health issues as barriers to working or job-seeking, suggesting that many are not as “able-bodied” as Rowe assumes.
Additionally, 47% of these men cite a lack of training and education, obsolete skills or a lackluster work history as major obstacles to employment.
