The New York Senate passed a package of bills yesterday that are designed to boost the state economy by training job seekers and existing employees for the employment opportunities that are currently in demand. The legislation aims to eliminate the skills gap through education investments and the creation of new networks between workers and job creators. State Senator Fred Akshar supported the measures, saying that the 52nd Senate District has more than 2,000 open jobs and has to develop the workforce to fill the needs of local employers. The package includes bills encouraging statewide participation in apprenticeships, giving job opportunities to veterans, making information about state work programs more accessible, establishing a program to retrain unemployed workers, investments in technology pathway programs at schools, and providing higher teacher salaries at BOCES to attract more talented professionals. The legislation will now head to the Assembly for consideration.
