About Tompkins County’s Workforce

The Tompkins County economy has experienced moderate growth during the past several decades. The County’s economic profile transformed from a durable goods manufacturing community in the 1960’s to an education center by the 1980’s. Since the 1980’s,technology firms producing high-tech products, equipment, services, and software applications have had an expanding role in local economic growth, while traditional durable goods manufacturing continues to have an important, though diminished role. Health, tourism, agriculture, and an array of business and personal services round out the primarily knowledge-driven economy.


TCAD maintains a close partnership with the local Workforce Investment Board (WIB), Tompkins WorkforceNY (TWNY). The WIB and TWNY offer a comprehensive approach to workforce development.  While offering the traditional array of employment services for job seekers, they aim to enhance productivity and competitiveness by collaborating with employers to generate creative solutions to workforce needs. For example, TWNY coordinated recruitment, assessment, and training services for Emerson Power Transmission during its rapid expansion. It also coordinated with the Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology to identify small technology companies in need of strategic planning services. To address the unique needs of high-skilled job-seekers, TWNY created the Professional Opportunities Development group as a forum to network and discuss the local job market needs and opportunities.

 

TCAD and TWNY have collaborated to create a new workforce strategy that was released in the winter of 2010.  As part of that effort, the recently completed Labor Market Study is now available.




Tompkins County Area Development
200 East Buffalo Street, Suite 102A
Ithaca, New York 14850
( 607 ) 273 - 0005