Genesee County Job Development Bureau

There are signs on two doors at Genesee County Job Development Bureau that caught the attention of Genese County Legislator Rochelle Stein.

One sign had a locked door with the message “we are not open,” issued by the New York State Department of Labor, while the other sign stated that the development bureau was open for business. Given that kids are in school and people have returned to work, it was surprising for Stein to see the state closed to customers, she said.

“I was shocked,” Stein said during Wednesday’s Ways & Means Committee meeting.

Director Teresa Van Son agreed. She gave a department report intertwined with both the good and bad news. The Job Development Bureau remained open in some capacity throughout the entire pandemic, she said.

“I'm really proud of how our team has moved forward and continues to provide services and adapt, and all that we've accomplished,” she said. “So I'm going to follow the same format as last year; I'm gonna give you the bad news first. “

Last year she predicted an overall shortfall of funding that would cause the department to dip into its reserves. “We did have to do that, and we do anticipate that happening again this year,” she said. Bad news. However, the Workforce Development Board contract has been renewed for next year. Some good news.

“And my last thing of bad news is that all of our programs continue to be provisional. They all didn't take the test that was offered in April,” she said, adding that a new member has been tapped to be on the Workforce Development Board.

“We’d like to present one appointment to the Workforce Development Board. Daniel Ireland, president of Rochester Regional Health, for a two-year term representing private sector business and healthcare.”

Ireland will be especially welcome at a GLOW With Your Hands “2.0” program. A new addition to the 2023 line-up, that program will focus on healthcare, which is certainly in Ireland's wheelhouse. More details are to be available in spring 2023, she said.

Other good news is that all program staff have been cross-trained, she said, including one new staff member. All staff will have have learned about every one of the site’s programs, she said, meaning “no more siloed job development.”

Training is crucial, yet difficult to do with about $150,000 across all four counties, she said, echoing a legislator with “that’s not enough.”

“The cost of running four Career Centers (one each in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties) in GLOW just keeps increasing. And as those costs increase, and the allocation from the state stays pretty level with small increases, that means we have less training dollars to help people with skill upgrades and to get into better jobs or into jobs,” Van Son said. “So the Workforce Development Board is looking at applying for different grants so that we can just provide additional training for folks, but it's going to be tight.”

Aside from statistics, funding woes and program updates — the necessary staples on the menu — she then got to the main course: success stories. These are some of the folks who benefited from the agency’s training and employment programs, she said.

First there’s Tom, who was in a residential recovery program for addiction. He wanted training to become an electrician, and the agency sent him to school. “He did amazing,” she said. “Great attendance, great performance.” From there he received subsidized employment while upgrading his skills to become a journeyman, she said.

And then there’s Karen, who had been unemployed for 13 years. A stay-at-home mom, Karen was getting disability benefits for kidney failure and struggled with anxiety and depression. Karen wanted to be a good role model for her two children, each who had a disability as well. Their mom obtained training to be a phlebotomist and is working at a hospital.

“She wanted to set a good example and show them that even though you have a disability, you still can be a productive member of the workforce,” Van Son said. “And she's very excited to be back in the workforce. So, I just wanted to share a few stories to give you a sense of the kind of thing that we're doing.”

The director of the Genesee County Job Development Bureau is banking on the internet and World Wide Web to make it easier for out-of-work residents to find a job.

“My number one priority is figuring out how to do virtual job fairs,” Teresa Van Son said earlier this week during a Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee meeting via Zoom. “I think there’s definitely a need. We’ve looked at it quite a bit and I’m hoping within the next month or two, I will figure out some way to do it.”

Committee Chair Marianne Clattenburg said she was on board with that considering the current employment situation.

“Sometimes people are hesitant to walk through a door but if they just have to click on a website and do it virtually – the younger folks especially who are so used to that – it might be a great way to reach out,” Clattenburg reasoned.

Van Son said that although the building (located in the Eastown Plaza behind Aldi) is closed, Job Development Bureau and Department of Labor staff are working from home and offering services remotely and over the phone.

“There are a few things we can’t provide right now – hands-on assessment services, job fairs” and two programs with the Department of Social Services that have been temporarily suspended, she said.

Van Son said she is focusing on the Summer Youth Employment Program, with a goal of serving 50 young people.

“We’re looking to do it differently. We’re looking at where can we find outdoor spaces. So, maybe working with local towns with their cemeteries and helping them do some beautification, or something potentially with the parks," she said, adding that forming a sanitation crew is another possibility.

“We’re trying to be pretty creative and come up with outdoor things so that social distancing might be a little easier.”

Van Son said a team approach is another idea being considered.

“Maybe groups of five kids work together with a team leader and they determine what project they want to do,” she said. “They design it from the ground up and they make all the arrangements, and they execute that project. That would be their summer youth employment experience and they can put that into a portfolio.”

Operationally, Van Son said one longtime employee, Veronica Frost, is retiring while another, Mary Spaulding, is putting off her retirement for at least another year. Both have been with the bureau for more than 35 years.

She also said that renegotiation of the agency’s lease that expires on Jan. 31, 2021 has begun. She mentioned the benefits of the current location include longevity, a favorable monthly rate, being on the bus line and plenty of space to accommodate social distancing.

In a related development, the committee authorized Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein to sign a Job Development Bureau contractor’s agreement with Livingston County to facilitate the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act program.

The resolution states that the grant is a one-year agreement that may be extended based on performance for two additional one-year periods with a budget of $243,800.

Van Son said the WIOA federal grant, which is passed through the state for funding, provides over 65 percent of the bureau’s revenue. She said an additional $23,000 has been approved this year due to increased costs related to out-of-school youth services.

Genesee County does not allocate funding for the bureau but provides other types of support.

 “No county dollars directly fund the job development program but we’re very appreciative of the amount of in-kind service and assistance that we receive through the county to be able to provide these job-seeking services to folks in the community,” Van Son said.

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The Genesee County Job Development Bureau is located at 587 E. Main St., Suite 100, in the Eastown Plaza. For information about programs provided and employment/unemployment matters, call (585) 344-2042. The bureau’s website is here.