A slice of the Buffalo Billion is going into the Western New York Workforce Development Center on the city's East Side. Governor Andrew Cuomo is leading a chorus of local officials, promising the center will provide opportunities for everyone across the region.
According to Mayor Byron Brown over the next few years another 12,000 new jobs are expected to be created in Buffalo. To prepare people the state plans to transform the vacant Niagara Machine plant on Northland Avenue into the Western New York Workforce Development Center.
Empire State Development Regional President Sam Hoyt says Governor Cuomo wants new jobs created with the Buffalo Billion to stay local.
"There's been a lot of economic hardship here. We want to make sure that those who've endured that struggle are the people that are filling the jobs."
After leading the fight for increasing the minimum wage for fast food workers, Kirk Laubenstein with the Coalition for Economic Justice says it's exciting the facility is on the city's East Side.
"We have a lot of the people working those fast-food jobs (who) live over in that neighborhood."
One of the programs will train workers for jobs in advanced manufacturing. To help companies modernize, the state recently opened Buffalo Manufacturing Works.
"A company in order to remain competitive and to grow over time needs to innovate and continue to improve," said Michael Ulbrich, BMW's President.
"That involves new processes and new equipment, all of which means the workforce needs to evolve at the same time."
The Workforce Development Center's other program will train people for jobs with electric utilities.