Editor’s note: This story highlights the challenges and innovations in training and recruiting workers for Central New York’s growth economy. Advance Media New York is bringing together the Upstate New York workforce development community for a one-day conference presented by Business Matters by syracuse.com on May 19, 2026. NY Workforce Connect is an opportunity for those in workforce development to break down silos and foster collaboration.
Syracuse, N.Y. — A century-old manufacturing group is creating a new nonprofit to tackle an urgent issue: helping businesses find more workers.
The Manufacturers Association of Central New York is bringing all its workforce programs under one roof. The new Manufacturers Talent Institute aims to replace what has often been a patchwork system — backed by schools, training programs, and industry initiatives — with something more coordinated and driven by employers’ needs…