As part of its ongoing effort to attract new companies and jobs to the region, the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise is looking for the latest information about the local workforce.
Current data on the labor pool is crucial for attracting new companies to the region. The last "labor market study" is five years old. So the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise is seeking $75,000 from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency for a new study. BNE President and CEO Tom Kucharski says, a labor market assessment is a tool every community needs to have on hand for prospective companies.
"One of the first questions they have now, especially is, 'where can I find good people?' It's an essential part of our tool kit. A lot of the community, from community service organizations, to colleges and universities, to employers, to our governments, use this study to assess what workforce is out there. To see who's taking what kind of courses. What the projected workforce will be three to five years from now."
The County IDA plans to vote at its meeting next month on the funding request. The BNE is also seeking funding to hire a "Lead Generation Firm" in Canada. Over 400 companies in Southern, Ontario have been identified as a good fit for the area. And Kucharski says, a lead generation firm will significantly increase the number of companies that will consider the region for expansion.