Regional Leaders Chart Course for Job Creation and Economic Resilience

Economic development doesn’t happen by accident—it requires strategic planning, community input, and coordinated investment. The Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council (MVREDC) held a public meeting to discuss new workforce training hubs and economic development projects that will shape the region’s future, demonstrating how transparent planning processes create economic strategies that work for everyone, not just the wealthy few.

This meeting represents democracy in action, where citizens can engage with economic planning rather than accepting decisions made behind closed doors by those who already hold power and wealth.

Understanding the MVREDC’s Regional Role

Governor Andrew Cuomo established Regional Economic Development Councils in 2011 to decentralize economic planning and ensure strategies reflect regional needs rather than one-size-fits-all approaches designed in Albany.

How MVREDC Functions

Regional Strategy: The council develops comprehensive strategies addressing Mohawk Valley’s unique economic challenges and opportunities.

Project Evaluation: MVREDC reviews funding applications and recommends projects for state support based on strategic fit and impact potential.

Stakeholder Coordination: The council brings together business leaders, educators, government officials, nonprofits, and community representatives.

Public Accountability: Regular public meetings ensure transparency and provide opportunities for community input on economic priorities.

Performance Tracking: The council monitors funded projects and assesses progress toward regional economic goals.

The Mohawk Valley Region

MVREDC serves Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, and Schoharie counties—a region facing transition from traditional manufacturing to a more diverse economy.

Regional Characteristics:

• Population of approximately 530,000 spread across urban, suburban, and rural areas
• Mix of manufacturing, healthcare, education, and tourism employment
• Strong educational institutions including SUNY Polytechnic Institute and Mohawk Valley Community College
• Rich history but aging infrastructure
• Scenic natural resources supporting tourism and quality of life

Workforce Training Hubs: Building Human Capital

The workforce training hub discussion represents strategic response to the skills gap that prevents economic growth despite available jobs.

The Skills Gap Challenge

Employers across America report difficulty finding workers with needed skills, while workers struggle to find jobs that pay family-sustaining wages. This paradox reflects mismatches between worker skills and employer needs.

Contributing Factors:

• Rapid technological change requiring constant skill updates
• Declining manufacturing requiring workers to transition to new industries
• Educational systems slow to adapt to changing employer needs
• Geographic mismatches between where workers live and jobs exist
• Credentialing requirements that exclude capable workers

How Training Hubs Address Skills Gaps

Workforce training hubs provide centralized locations for skill development, connecting education providers, employers, and workers.

Typical Hub Components:

Flexible Training Spaces: Facilities accommodate various training programs from manufacturing to healthcare to information technology.

Equipment and Technology: Up-to-date tools and technology provide hands-on learning opportunities that mirror workplace environments.

Multiple Providers: Community colleges, BOCES, private training organizations, and employers all deliver programming under one roof.

Support Services: Childcare, transportation assistance, career counseling, and other supports help workers complete training.

Employer Engagement: Direct employer involvement ensures training aligns with actual job requirements and can lead to employment.

Credential Pathways: Programs result in industry-recognized credentials that employers value and that stack toward degrees.

Economic Development Projects: Diversifying the Regional Economy

MVREDC discussions covered various economic development initiatives designed to strengthen and diversify the Mohawk Valley economy.

Types of Projects Under Consideration

Infrastructure Improvements: Roads, broadband, water systems, and other infrastructure that enable business growth.

Business Attraction and Expansion: Incentives and support for companies locating or expanding in the region.

Downtown Revitalization: Investment in urban cores that serve as regional economic and cultural centers.

Tourism Development: Projects leveraging natural beauty, history, and cultural assets to attract visitors.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Support for startups and technology companies creating next-generation jobs.

Agricultural Development: Projects supporting farming operations and value-added agricultural businesses.

The Importance of Regional Economic Planning

Coordinated regional approaches produce better results than individual communities competing against each other for limited resources.

Benefits of Regional Cooperation

Resource Efficiency: Sharing resources like training facilities or business parks prevents wasteful duplication.

Greater Leverage: Regional coalitions attract more attention and investment from state and federal sources.

Strategic Coherence: Coordinated strategies ensure communities complement rather than undermine each other.

Talent Mobility: Workers can move within regions more easily than relocating to distant states, so regional labor markets make sense.

Shared Identity: Regional branding creates stronger marketing than individual small communities can achieve alone.

Challenges to Regional Cooperation

Despite benefits, regional cooperation faces obstacles:

Local Competition: Communities compete for tax base and economic activity, creating tensions within regions.

Political Differences: Diverse communities within regions may have conflicting political priorities and values.

Urban-Rural Divides: Cities and rural areas often view economic needs differently and compete for resources.

Historical Conflicts: Past disputes and resentments can complicate current cooperation efforts.

Unequal Capacity: Wealthier communities bring more resources to regional partnerships, creating power imbalances.

Public Meetings: Democracy in Economic Planning

MVREDC’s public meeting format embodies democratic principles by allowing citizens to observe and participate in economic planning.

Why Public Input Matters

Diverse Perspectives: Community members identify needs and opportunities that business leaders and officials might miss.

Legitimacy: Decisions made through transparent processes gain greater public acceptance and support.

Accountability: Public scrutiny encourages officials to prioritize community benefit over special interests.

Information Sharing: Meetings educate residents about economic conditions and opportunities.

Civic Engagement: Participation in economic planning builds civic skills and democratic culture.

Making Public Meetings More Effective

Traditional public meetings often attract minimal participation and fail to engage diverse voices. Improvements could include:

Multiple Formats: Virtual options, small group discussions, and surveys reach more people than single large meetings.

Convenient Timing: Evening and weekend meetings accommodate working families.

Childcare and Accessibility: Providing childcare and ensuring accessibility removes participation barriers.

Language Access: Translation services enable non-English speakers to participate fully.

Proactive Outreach: Active recruitment in underrepresented communities increases diverse participation.

Meaningful Influence: Clear connections between public input and decisions encourage participation.

Workforce Development: A Progressive Priority

Investment in workforce training aligns with progressive values of economic opportunity, social mobility, and shared prosperity.

Why Workforce Investment Matters

Economic Justice: Training access provides pathways to family-sustaining wages for workers without college degrees.

Employer Accountability: Public training investments should come with employer commitments to good wages and working conditions.

Labor Market Power: Skilled workers gain bargaining power to demand better compensation and treatment.

Community Stability: Good jobs allow workers to stay in home communities rather than migrating for opportunity.

Tax Revenue: Better-paid workers generate tax revenue supporting public services.

Ensuring Training Benefits Workers

Not all workforce training serves worker interests. Progressive advocates should ensure:

Living Wages: Training should lead to jobs paying family-sustaining wages, not poverty-level employment.

Worker Protections: Employers receiving public support should respect labor rights and workplace protections.

Advancement Opportunities: Jobs should offer career pathways beyond entry-level positions.

Benefits Access: Full-time employment with health insurance and retirement benefits should be the standard.

Union Rights: Workers should have freedom to organize without employer interference.

Measuring Economic Development Success

Economic development initiatives should be judged by broad prosperity rather than narrow metrics that obscure inequality.

Traditional Metrics and Their Limitations

Jobs Created: Simple job counts ignore whether positions pay living wages or offer stability.

Unemployment Rates: Low unemployment can mask underemployment and discouraged workers who stopped job searching.

Business Growth: New businesses don’t necessarily benefit existing residents if they bring their own workforce.

Investment Dollars: Capital investment may create few jobs or benefit primarily outside investors.

Population Growth: Population increases can strain infrastructure and raise costs without improving resident wellbeing.

Better Success Measures

Wage Growth: Are existing residents earning more over time?

Income Distribution: Is prosperity shared broadly or concentrated among the wealthy?

Poverty Rates: Are fewer families struggling to meet basic needs?

Career Pathways: Can workers advance from entry-level to middle-class jobs?

Community Wellbeing: Do residents report better quality of life, health, and satisfaction?

Youth Retention: Are young people staying or returning to build careers?

The Role of Educational Institutions

Colleges and training providers serve as crucial partners in regional economic development by preparing workers for available jobs.

Educational Institution Contributions

Workforce Training: Community colleges and technical schools provide occupation-specific training aligned with employer needs.

Degree Programs: Four-year institutions prepare graduates for professional and technical positions.

Research and Innovation: Universities conduct research leading to new technologies and businesses.

Cultural Assets: Colleges bring cultural programming, sports, and events that enhance community life.

Economic Anchors: Educational institutions provide stable employment and attract students who spend money locally.

Lifelong Learning: Continuing education helps existing workers update skills and transition to new careers.

Small Business Support: The Backbone of Regional Economies

While attracting large employers generates headlines, small business success often matters more for regional prosperity.

Why Small Businesses Matter

Employment: Small businesses collectively employ more workers than large corporations in most regions.

Stability: Local business owners can’t relocate operations to chase incentives or lower costs elsewhere.

Community Character: Unique local businesses create distinctive regional identities that attract residents and tourists.

Opportunity: Entrepreneurship provides wealth-building opportunities beyond wage employment.

Resilience: Diverse small business economies withstand economic shocks better than regions dependent on few large employers.

Supporting Small Business Success

Access to Capital: Loan programs and investor networks help entrepreneurs access startup and growth funding.

Technical Assistance: Business planning, marketing, financial management, and operations support improve success rates.

Networking: Connections among entrepreneurs, suppliers, and customers strengthen business ecosystems.

Regulatory Assistance: Help navigating complex regulations reduces barriers to business launch and operation.

Market Access: Trade show participation, online marketing, and buyer connections expand customer bases beyond local markets.

Infrastructure: The Foundation for Growth

Economic development depends on infrastructure that enables businesses to operate efficiently and workers to access opportunities.

Critical Infrastructure Needs

Broadband Internet: Digital connectivity matters as much as electricity for modern businesses and workers.

Transportation: Roads, public transit, and airports connect workers to jobs and businesses to markets.

Water and Sewer: Adequate capacity for drinking water, wastewater treatment, and stormwater management enables development.

Housing: Affordable, quality housing in appropriate locations attracts and retains workforce.

Healthcare: Access to healthcare services supports worker health and productivity.

Childcare: Affordable, quality childcare enables parents to work and children to develop.

Looking Ahead: Regional Economic Resilience

The MVREDC’s planning efforts ultimately aim to build regional economic resilience—the capacity to withstand economic shocks and adapt to changing conditions.

Building Resilient Economies

Economic Diversity: Multiple industries provide alternatives when specific sectors decline.

Innovation Capacity: Cultures supporting entrepreneurship and innovation enable adaptation to changing conditions.

Human Capital: Educated, skilled populations attract employers and generate entrepreneurial ventures.

Quality of Life: Attractive communities retain and attract talented workers businesses need.

Social Capital: Strong social networks and civic institutions enable collective action and mutual support.

Forward Planning: Anticipating trends and preparing responses positions regions to capitalize on opportunities.

Conclusion: Planning for Shared Prosperity

The Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council’s public meeting on workforce training hubs and economic projects represents more than bureaucratic process—it’s an opportunity for democratic participation in shaping the region’s economic future. When communities engage in transparent planning processes and invest in workforce development and strategic initiatives, they create foundations for shared prosperity rather than accepting economic change as something that happens to them.

Economic development should benefit everyone, not just wealthy investors and large corporations. Workforce training hubs that provide pathways to good jobs, infrastructure investments that improve quality of life, and support for small businesses that strengthen communities—these initiatives build regional economies that work for working families.

Get Involved: Whether you live in the Mohawk Valley or another region with economic development councils, participate in public meetings and planning processes. Your voice matters in deciding economic priorities and ensuring development benefits your community. Check MVREDC’s website for upcoming meetings, review their strategic plans, and contact council members with your ideas and concerns. Strong regional economies require engaged citizens willing to advocate for economic justice and shared prosperity.