A new beta version 1.0 web platform, www.mcclmi.com, was recently launched to estimate the middle-skills gaps within three upstate New York regions including Finger Lakes, Western New York, and Central New York, using labor market data from multiple big data providers. This platform is designed for workforce practitioners, educators, and economic developers, and uses MCC’s previously published report titled, Measuring Middle-Skills Occupational Gaps within the Finger Lakes Regional Economy, as a template for the data framework. Like the report, the platform uses a labor supply/labor demand analysis applied to middle-skills occupational groups from four workforce clusters: advanced manufacturing, applied technologies, information and computer technology, and health care. The sector analysis includes dashboards identifying and measuring educational attainment through a region’s capacity to produce certificate and degree completions against estimated annual openings for each middle-skills occupational group.
The point of the initiative is not measurement for measurement sake but making the information actionable and impactful, and to convene regional economic and workforce development collaborations that positively impact the community. To support this objective, a Regional Advisory Board that consists of economic developers, workforce practitioners, secondary and post-secondary educators, professional associations and community partners has been assembled. Their input and perspective continue to play a role in the development of the platform, and there is active discussion around collaboration opportunities. Currently, MCC is working with secondary education partners to roll-out several projects that integrate the web platform into their regular work in meaningful ways.
Additionally, the Monroe County division of Economic Development and Planning has embraced www.mcclmi.com as a tool to better develop data informed economic and workforce development programs. This is a major step in reaching the website objective to become the tool-of-record for the region in the development of economic development strategy and middle skills gap analyses.
Development of the platform was funded in part by JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Regional Advisory Board. Pictured left to right, front row: Mike Mandina, Optimax; Lynn Fried, Workforce Development Institute; Joe Nairn, Finger Lakes Community College; Mike Woloson, Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board; Lee Koslow, RochesterWorks; Susan Allen, East Irondequoit School District; Carol Stehm, Gate-Chili School District; Karen Poland, Monroe-2 BOCES. Back row: John Lisak, Monroe-1 BOCES; Chris Wiest, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce; Colleen DiMartino, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce; Keith Babuszczak, Rochester City School District; Jill Slavny, Monroe-2 BOCES; Joe Wesley, Wegmans; Todd Oldham, Monroe Community College; Joe Hamm, NYS Dept. of Labor; Kevin Kelley, Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association; Gloria Morgan, Rochester Educational Opportunity Center; Richard Fox, Finger Lakes Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise; Rich Turner, Monroe County Economic Development.
Not pictured: Karen Springmeier, Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board; Matt Hurlbutt, Greater Rochester Enterprise; Steve Hyde, Genesee County Economic Development Center; Kent Gardner, Center for Governmental Research; Roosevelt Mareus, SUNY Brockport; Peter Pecor, RochesterWorks; Reid Smalley, Genesee Community College; Shaun Nelms, Rochester City School District; Bill Rotenberg, Monroe Community College/P-TECH; Paul Burke, Rochester City School District; Charles Dipasquale, Genesee Valley BOCES; Matt Flowers, Genesee Valley BOCES; Cherie Becker, Monroe-1 BOCES; Annette Christensen, Monroe-1 BOCES; Erin Fairben, Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES; Kathleen Richardson, Greece Central School District; Jon Sanfratello, Genesee Valley BOCES; Michele Sullivan, Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES.