© 2024 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
WBFO Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Your NPR Station
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Looking for work? 767 jobs posted at ECC

Buffalo NY Jobs
/
Twitter

Erie Community College has received twice as many job notices posted as it did a year ago in the depths of the pandemic. As the workforce opens up, so are the job opportunities.

Erie Community College has received twice as many job notices posted as it did a year ago in the depths of the pandemic. As the workforce opens up, so are the job opportunities.

ECC President William Reuter said he has been participating in Amherst Chamber of Commerce Zoom calls and everyone, across the board, is looking for workers. Reuter said the college currently has 767 job postings, compared to 362 a year ago.

He said many are being hired even before they finish school.

"Technologies and our health programs. We have multiple students in nursing that are getting hired even before they sit for their clinical boards," Reuter said. "Hospitality industry, I know that is picking up. We are getting a lot of interest from employers as far as our students and allowing them to sort of learn on the job, while they complete their studies."

Reuter said students coming out of some of the technical programs are being hired slightly outside of their fields, but with critical thinking skills, it makes them ready to take on a little different line of work.

"They value these students with transferable skills," he said. "So a company that may hire, like an electrical engineer tech grad, they're looking at automotive tech or megatronics or computer repair technology program. So they're looking for those skills that students can take and work in multiple different industries effective."

After years of decline, Reuter said enrollment this summer is also up. He said this indicates students are more confident about the future and signing up for full-time school.

"They want students that can think critically, pay attention to details, communicate, write well and we have really started making sure we integrate that into all our curriculum, both those soft and hard skills that make our students even more employable," Reuter said.

Mike Desmond is one of Western New York’s most experienced reporters, having spent nearly a half-century covering the region for newspapers, television stations and public radio. He has been with WBFO and its predecessor, WNED-AM, since 1988. As a reporter for WBFO, he has covered literally thousands of stories involving education, science, business, the environment and many other issues. Mike has been a long-time theater reviewer for a variety of publications and was formerly a part-time reporter for The New York Times.
Related Content