GLOW With Your Hands

Of the 235 representatives from various areas in the healthcare field at a four-county event, student Rylee Serusa-Herndon connected with someone in particular during her visit with BOCES Health Dimensions classmates to Genesee Community College Friday.

“I came to the GLOW With Your Hands field trip to be a neurosurgeon, I’m interested in that, and I came to kind of understand, to know what I have to do to be able to be that,” she said. “I did go to a booth, and one of the girls was actually a neurosurgeon, and she told me it is very difficult; you have to do a lot of schooling. But she said ‘you know, there’s not many girl neurosurgeons,’ and that kind helped me out. I definitely want to do it.”

Rylee was one of more than 500 students in grades eight through 12 from 31 schools in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. The event was to help connect interested students to a couple hundred representatives from 57 companies, municipal agencies, nonprofits, and educational institutions and further excite, educate, and empower them to seek success in the healthcare field of study after high school.

Educational providers and employers were on hand to demonstrate in the fields of emergency medical services, healthy living, healthcare, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, pharmacy, and the various sciences.

There were mannequins stationed so that students could get some CPR lessons, a physical therapy demonstration, and a virtual reality program to offer more high-tech ways to explore careers, “which is cool,” said Chris Suozzi, Vice President of Workforce Development for Genesee County Economic Development Center. 

“The whole reason that we do these events and career exploration in high school is so kids can really expand their horizons. It's so difficult for someone to really know what they want to do for a career. It's taken me 30-some years to figure out what I wanted to do … but for kids, the more they see the, the better. So they're seeing careers that they would never see in a classroom and in a textbook,” Suozzi said. “And then there's careers that they may look at and say, ‘Oh, I definitely don't want to do that.' And I know it's a good thing. But when you look at the opportunities for what are possibilities, it's almost endless here. 

“So, you know, when you hear about healthcare, you think a doctor or nurse, but then when you look here, there's a lot more than doctors and nurses,” he said. “There's all these technicians and EMTs, physical therapy, and the list goes on and on. So that's the whole idea. Explore their mind, explore opportunities for a great career.”

To view or purchase photos, click here.

March Madness brings out the best of college basketball players across the country. The emotions and exuberant atmosphere generated by fans and athletes are unmatched.

From a workforce development perspective, the GLOW region’s version of March Madness offers the same competitive, robust, and exhilarating atmosphere that hundreds of student-athletes will shortly embark upon.

Two themes that intertwine in the realms of workforce development and athletics are the inspirational narratives that haven’t always been given the spotlight. I’m excited that Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking performances at Iowa are getting the attention it deserves - and I’m working to ensure that the young women ready for tech careers get the same attention. 

Like Caitlin, the young leaders stepping up in workforce training and manufacturing are a small portion of the women who can play integral roles. If our region is going to successfully meet the workplace demands of existing and new and emerging companies, then there is going to be a need for a diverse workforce, particularly among women.

Future Genesee County employer and semiconductor manufacturer Edwards has recognized the importance of having a diversified workforce as the industry-leading company has set a goal for 30% of their employees to be female by 2030.

The team overseeing Edwards Genesee, and our existing base of manufacturers, is striving to these goals by promoting positive awareness through our work with schools and colleges, encouraging aspiring female engineers, technicians, managers, and apprentices.

“Our goal is to be as diverse as possible… You want to have that mix of ideas and backgrounds - that’s how you get the best results,” Jeff Mickel, Edwards’ project manager shared recently on a tour of GCC’s training facilities.

Our workforce development blueprint was designed to introduce our students to in-demand, family-sustaining careers, and we look forward to working with our employers in their efforts to recruit individuals from various backgrounds.

We have two great opportunities to do that!

The GLOW region’s March Madness kicks off with STEAM Jam and Tech Wars, where elementary, middle, and high school students showcase their technical skills at Genesee Community College.

At STEAM Jam, over 100 3rd – 5th-grade students will participate in hands-on activities and show them the opportunity to turn these skills into a potential career once they are older and ready to join the workforce.

Later in the day, the 15th annual Tech Wars will take place where GLOW region middle and high school students showcase their technical expertise through innovative technology competitions.

To further educate students in attendance, New York State’s leading mechatronics program housed at the Genesee Valley BOCES will be in attendance to inform students about the career opportunities and training available for careers that use the same skills being utilized at STEAM Jam and Tech Wars.

Stay tuned to find out what schools and individuals will end up in the winner’s circle on Thursday, March 21!

Rounding out our March Madness is the second annual GLOW With Your Hands Healthcare. This is a great program offering hands-on displays and presentations to over 600 students from 28 GLOW region schools.

While this edition of GLOW With Your Hands aims to introduce students to careers in the healthcare sector, I always advise students that these skills can take them to any career. We have one of the most prepared and educated workforces in the country and we can’t close any doors to a career change - after all, a versatile skillset is what set up Cailtin Clark’s scoring record on the court!

Whether you are a student, parent, teacher, or guidance counselor contact me at csuozzi@gcedc.com to learn more about the opportunities available.

Chris Suozzi is the Vice President of Business & Workforce Development and the Co-Founder of GLOW With Your Hands.

Press Release:

GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare plans to host its second annual career exploration event for local students interested in healthcare career pathways and opportunities. Approximately 600 students in grades 8-12 from 28 schools will gather at Genesee Community College on March 22 to connect with various healthcare businesses and organizations to learn about careers in healthcare and science-related fields throughout the GLOW region.

 

The success of GLOW with Your Hands in workforce recruitment in the manufacturing sector and the urgent workforce need in the healthcare sector has once again brought businesses, educational organizations, and economic development agencies from across the region to collaborate to provide an incredible opportunity for GLOW region students to learn about the careers in their own backyard.

“The healthcare sector is one of the GLOW region’s largest employers and contributors to the economy, offering ample career pathway opportunities to the next generation of workforce candidates,” said Angela Grouse, Education to Employment Director at the Livingston County Area Chamber and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare. “As we have experienced from our manufacturing event, hands-on interactions with these professionals and organizations lead to sustained interest.”

GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare will provide the healthcare sector with the opportunity to meet and recruit its future workforce. Participants include representatives from hospitals and health systems and those in nursing, mental health, social services and first responders.  Attendees also will be able to explore educational pathways in the healthcare sector through BOCES and local colleges and universities.

“Serving Wyoming County and the GLOW region for the past 110 years showcases our commitment to the community and why career exploration is so essential, especially in the healthcare sector,” said Wyoming County Community Health System CEO David Kobis. “Our local youth get a detailed understanding of the opportunities we have available, and we get to see what they are looking for in a career.”

“We are always trying to find new strategies and opportunities that help prepare our students to enter the workforce upon graduation,” said Karyn Winters, director of the Genesee County Business Education Alliance Director and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands Healthcare. “Through collaboration with local stakeholders, we are building a workforce development model that is being replicated across the region.”

Various healthcare businesses and organizations have demonstrated their appreciation of the value of this event with generous support, including ESL Federal Credit Union, Wyoming County Community Health Services, Rochester Regional Health | United Memorial Medical Center, Genesee County Economic Development Center, and University of Rochester Medicine | Noyes Health.

“Our sponsors are one of the main reasons we have seen so much success and interest with GLOW With Your Hands events these past few years,” said Justin Dueppengiesser, Executive Director, of Wyoming County Business Education Council. “This is a unique opportunity for businesses across the region to tap into the pipeline of well-prepared and educated workforce candidates.”

There are still sponsorship opportunities for the March 22nd event at the Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,000) and Bronze ($500) levels.

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare visit www.GLOWWithYourHands.com/healthcare or contact Chris Suozzi at csuozzi@gcedc.com.

I’ve never been a fan of load management in basketball. I see the value in taking a breather mid-game, but taking yourself out of the competition or a great opportunity never made sense to me.

Challenging yourself in new ways is how you grow as an athlete, as a person, and as a professional. 

Did the 1,100 students who participated in GLOW With Your Hands: Manufacturing need a breather? Absolutely. There was so much for them to learn in one day – about themselves and all the skilled trades, manufacturing, food production, and agricultural careers in their backyard.

But meeting with 65 employers in the GLOW Region and testing out dozens of careers was energizing, not exhausting.

We once again saw how Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming county kids are ready for this unique challenge.

• They hammered with precision and power at Camp Hard Hat’s nail-driving competition.
• They jumped into the controls of construction vehicles and welding simulators.
• They scaled power poles, raced wheelbarrows weighted down by cinder blocks, and grasped the lessons taught through GV BOCES’ mechatronics lab equipment.

Through it all, our GLOW With Your Hands participants showed a passion that we need to continually embrace. That’s a big reason I am excited to have a new placement on the workforce development calendar for our next big event. It keeps the momentum going!

Cornell in High School takes the wide-scale career exposure concept from GLOW With Your Hands and focuses it on a group of career-focused students in the Class of 2024 from Nov. 7 - 9.

Over three days of Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences-led training at SUNY Genesee Community College, students get hands-on experiences in food production, plant safety, and the financial benefits of a career in the food industry.

Employers like Nortera in Oakfield and Bergen, Upstate Niagara Cooperative in Batavia, and Yancey’s Fancy in Pembroke have welcomed this opportunity. Our students are going to connect with them in the classroom and in facility tours.

Participating students will earn a Food Processing certificate from Cornell University’s Department of Food Science, giving them a free head-start for careers that offer great lives with no college debt – and they do this all while they are still in high school!

Know a student who would fit this program? Registration is at tinyurl.com/CornellBootcamp and I’m a call (585-409-1301) or an email (csuozzi@gcedc.com) away when it comes to connecting kids to careers.

I worked with Cornell to launch this program in 2022 because of the potential it had in Genesee County. Our strong base of food and beverage companies is the largest employer within our region. Continued investment in this industry results in ample and rewarding job opportunities.

There are great futures ahead for our students at Nortera, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Yancey’s Fancy, and across many food and beverage employers in our region.

I’m not taking a game off, or letting an opportunity pass by for our kids to succeed.

Looking ahead, there are matching days for this year’s Youth Apprenticeships in December, a Senior Job Fair, and the Youth Apprenticeship internships and co-ops early in 2024.

Chris "Coach Swazz" Suozzi is VP of Business Development for the Genesee County Economic Development Center.

Press release:

GLOW With Your Hands: Manufacturing hosted its largest turnout of students and vendors for the annual career exploration event. Over 1,100 students from 30 school districts across the GLOW region arrived at the Genesee County Fairgrounds to attend the day-long, hands-on program, including over 65 organizations from the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food production, and skilled trades sectors. 

GLOW With Your Hands introduces students from school districts in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties to employers across the region who are ready to engage with the new generation of talented workers and leaders.

For Jack Frazier from Warsaw High School, these introductions included welding, electric linework, and operating a crane. 

“It is really cool that all of these businesses come out and interact with us for the whole day. We get to see equipment that is used day-to-day, I learned about so many careers and skills that I was not aware of before today,” Jack added. 

Exhibitors from advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food production, skilled trades, and education/training sectors attended the event to showcase accurate representations of their day-to-day duties performed within their specific industry and company. The event welcomes students preparing to enter the workforce after this school year and those who will be considering career paths in high school over the next five years. 

“As a result of the hard work and planning of local workforce advocates, event exhibitors and volunteers, and our sponsoring partners, students across the region are learning more about the good-paying and debt-free careers available to them immediately upon graduating from high school,” said GLOW With Your Hands Co-Founders Chris Suozzi and Jay Lazarony. “This gives them the awareness of what skills are needed and the ability they have to succeed across many industries.”

Led by Platinum Sponsors LandPro Equipment and National Grid, many businesses have participated in every GLOW With Your Hands since 2019, including manufacturers like Advanced Rubber Products and Liberty Pumps, food producers like Barilla and O-AT-KA Milk Products, construction businesses like LG Evans and Genesee Construction, and skilled trades organizations like Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 3 and North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

Plastic card manufacturer Bristol ID Technologies of Lima attended the event for the first time. Their exhibit created personalized ID cards for participants throughout the day-long event while educating them on processes and opportunities available at their Livingston County location. 

“It’s incumbent that businesses go out and share what they need and what they can offer to the next generation of their workforce,” said Edward Schroeder, Bristol ID Technologies Operations Director. “GLOW With Your Hands allows us to demonstrate to students what a career at our company looks and feels like. It’s a great way to introduce our company to potential workers.”

After launching in 2019 with 800 students, GLOW With Your Hands has grown into the premier workforce development program in the region. Including GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare, a hands-on medical careers program held annually in March, more than 1,600 students participated in the 2022-23 school year.

“Our annually increasing participation at GLOW With Your Hands is a credit to the full engagement of our schools and the students excited to gain a hands-on view of career opportunities that they may have never contemplated,” said GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair Angela Grouse. “Many of these careers can be successfully launched with our region’s robust training programs and deliver family-sustaining wages and benefits along with rewarding lifestyles.”

For Haley from Pavilion High School, GLOW With Your Hands was an opportunity to embrace hands-on careers available in the community. 

“It is awesome to step out of our comfort zones, experience new careers, and embrace active, hands-on skills that are used outside of a desk job. It is a great way to discover jobs that are offered here in our community,” added Haley. 

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands and careers in the GLOW Region, please visit www.glowwithyourhands.com. 

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

Press Release:

GLOW With Your Hands – Manufacturing is coming back to the Genesee County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, September 26, and is anticipating its largest turnout of students and vendors since its inception in 2019. Over 1,000 students from 29 school districts across the GLOW region will be arriving at the fairgrounds for the day-long career exploration event. 

Approximately 65 businesses will provide hands-on activities and simulations in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food production, and skilled trades sectors as well as the various branches of the military. Students will have the opportunity to learn about career opportunities in their own backyard that offer good-paying opportunities immediately after high school graduation.

“In 2022, approximately 3,000 students participated in workforce development events and programs, and we are on pace to host another 1,000 students at our event next week,” said Chris Suozzi, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Founder. “Thanks to the dedication of committee members, school engagement representatives, vendors, and other local workforce experts, we are building a workforce blueprint that regions across the state and country are modeling.”

LandPro Equipment and National Grid both return as the event’s Platinum sponsor bringing two popular vendor stations that students look forward to experiencing. National Grid will have its team members on site to simulate linework and LandPro will have members from its team operating various John Deere equipment. There also will be multiple trade and contractor organizations putting on displays of bricklaying, electrician work, pipe installation, and more. 

 “GLOW With Your Hands: Manufacturing allows the next generation of workforce candidates to interact with representatives from our local industry to experience the type of employment available right here in their own backyards where students can experience real-life examples of the type of work that could be available to them after high school graduation,” said Jay Lazarony, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Founder. “Since 2019 we have seen a 40% increase in participation at GLOW With Your Hands, and that is due to not only our community partners but companies investing in the GLOW region where our talented and educated workforce are prepared to meet the workplace demands of area employers.”

GLOW With Your Hands still has room for vendors, sponsors, and volunteers.  For more information please, visit https://www.glowwithyourhands.com/contact-us to sign up!

Press release:

More than 600 students from 28 school districts from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming (GLOW) counties experienced a hands-on healthcare career exploration event Friday.  Supported by business and educational groups and sponsors led by Platinum Sponsor ESL Federal Credit Union, the inaugural GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare event took place at Genesee Community College.

GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare was manifested from the annual GLOW With Your Hands: Manufacturing event that educates students through simulations and other hands-on experiences in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and skilled trades sectors on career opportunities available in students’ own backyards. 

“This event was such a special opportunity for our organization, with roughly 200 beds and six outpatient clinics within our health system, we are actively searching and hiring for the next generation of workforce candidates,” said David Kobis, Wyoming County Community Health System CEO. “Representatives from WCCHS participated in multiple hands-on workshops and a career fair where students were able to ask our team members about their roles and what it is like to work for our organization.”

The inaugural GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare event welcomed dozens of healthcare organizations from various sectors of the industry, including hospitals and health systems and career opportunities in nursing, mental health, social services and first responders as well as educational pathways into healthcare through BOCES, local colleges, and universities.

“Based on our success of engaging the future workforce with employers across the GLOW region in the manufacturing, agriculture and skilled trades sectors, we were optimistic that this same type of format would benefit healthcare providers and more importantly students who have an interest in a career in healthcare,” said Angela Grouse, Education to Employment Director at the Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare. “With the current staffing challenges in the healthcare system, especially in rural areas, vendors recognized the benefit of participating and engaged enthusiastically.”

Students received hands-on instruction and experience in first aid/CPR, nursing, caretaking, and other healthcare-related activities. The students were also provided information about secondary career paths such as physical therapy, complementary and alternative medicine, Doctor of Medicine, and more.

“Our planning team is comprised of dedicated individuals who want to provide our youth with opportunities of exploring future career paths that fit their talents and aspirations,” said Karyn Winters, director of the Genesee County Business Education Alliance Director and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare. “Students will now be able to go back to their clubs, counselors, and classrooms and have an idea of what career path they could see themselves in and will be able to build upon the connections they have made as a result of this engagement with healthcare organizations.”

Various local and state-level officials and stakeholders participated in the event at Genesee Community College to learn more about initiatives the GLOW region is taking to prepare its youth for future career and employment opportunities. This event showcased why there is a need for investment in rural healthcare entities and the number of students interested in these careers.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Press Release:

The key to success in any good event is its volunteers, and GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare needs you! Join us for GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare on March 24 at Genesee Community College for the inaugural, day-long, hands-on career exploration event.

Approximately 600 students from 28 schools will connect with various healthcare businesses and organizations to learn about the multitude of rewarding jobs in healthcare and science-related fields throughout the GLOW region.

Volunteers are essential to support the day-long event.  Those opportunities begin early in March with student bag assembly, continue with event set-up on March 23, and culminate on March 24 with activities that include lunch duty, "tour guides," station supervision, and cleanup.

“Volunteers play a vital role in GLOW With Your Hands career exploration events. The growth of GLOW With Your Hands Manufacturing has been due, in large part to the dedication of local members of the community wanting to make an impact on our youth,” said Karyn Winters, director of the Genesee County Business Education Alliance Director and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare. “Volunteers create a fun, educational environment and contribute to the overall experience.”

Various healthcare sectors will be in attendance, including hospitals and health systems featuring jobs in nursing, mental health, social services and first aid. Students will also connect with local colleges, universities, and secondary and post-secondary training programs to learn about career pathways that will provide a sound return on their investment.

“Volunteer tour guides encourage student engagement at vendor stations, students benefit from both support and positive reinforcement to boost confidence when asking questions and performing vendor activities,” said Angela Grouse, Education to Employment Director at the Livingston County Area Chamber and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare. “Since 2019 at our inaugural manufacturing event, the GLOW region continues to invest in the next generation of workforce candidates. It is special to see how the community rallies together to support our youth.”

Volunteers must be at least 18 years or older. Additional information and volunteer applications are available here.

Additionally, GLOW With Your Hands leaders encourage community members to consider joining one of the many committees for either the Healthcare or Manufacturing event.

Press release:

The success of GLOW with Your Hands in workforce recruitment in the manufacturing sector and the urgent workforce need for healthcare providers has once again brought businesses, educational organizations, and economic development agencies from across the region to collaborate to provide an incredible opportunity for GLOW region students to learn about the careers in their own backyard in the healthcare sector.

Approximately 600 students in grades 8-12 from 28 schools will gather at Genesee Community College on March 24 to connect with various healthcare businesses and organizations to learn about the multitude of gratifying jobs in healthcare and science-related fields throughout the GLOW region.

“Our collaboration once again focuses on supplying GLOW region employers with the resources that will facilitate the ongoing development of our future healthcare workforce,” said Karyn Winters, director of the Genesee County Business Education Alliance Director and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare. “We are very excited to provide another hands-on career exploration experience for students across the GLOW region.”

Healthcare is an essential component of the regional economy as evidenced by various developments and expansions across the GLOW area. GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare will provide the healthcare sector with the opportunity to meet and recruit its future workforce as these projects are completed and start operations.

“The GLOW region gives United Memorial Medical Center access to an educated, well-trained workforce because of our partners in the private sector, which is why we continue to make significant investments in the area,” said Dan Ireland, President of United Memorial Medical Center. “These investments will create hundreds of new jobs, and we need the next generation of workforce candidates to fill them.”

“We are all aware of the current challenges in the healthcare sector, especially in rural areas such as the GLOW region,” said Angela Grouse, Education to Employment Director at the Livingston County Area Chamber and Co-Chair of GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare.  “Our goal is to showcase local healthcare organizations and businesses to our students as they plan to start their careers so they can be a part of the workforce solution.”

“We are always trying to find new strategies and services that prepare our students to enter the workforce upon graduation,” said Justin Dueppengiesser, Executive Director, of Wyoming County Business Education Council.  “The GLOW region is special because we have so many organizations working together that passionately want to find job and career opportunities for our youth to keep them here.”

Students will also have the opportunity to interact with colleges, universities, and secondary and post-secondary training programs to learn about the career pathways offered through these academic institutions.

“It means so much to our GCC community, as not only do students get to interact with local healthcare organizations to learn about different careers, but this also gives us a chance to expose GLOW region students to affordable options available at our college that can lead to good-paying careers in the healthcare sector,” said Maureen Welch, Director of Respiratory Care at Genesee Community College.

Various healthcare businesses and organizations have demonstrated their appreciation of the value of this event with generous support including: ESL Federal Credit Union, Livingston County Area Chamber Of Commerce: Education to Employment, Wyoming County Community Health Services Skilled Nursing Facility, Rochester Regional Health, M & T Bank, UR Medicine | Noyes Health, Workforce Development Institute, Lifetime Assistance, Blossom Modern Home Care Solutions, Batavia Downs, Episcopal Senior Life Communities, VNA of WNY, and the Iroquois Job Corps.

There are still sponsorship opportunities for the March 24th event at the Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,000) and Bronze ($500) levels.

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare visit www.GLOWWithYourHands.com/healthcare or contact Chris Suozzi at csuozzi@gcedc.com.

Submitted photo.

Press release:

GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare is beginning to build momentum for the inaugural hands-on career exploration event as organizers announced Platinum Level sponsors, including Livingston County Area Chamber Education to Employment, Wyoming County Community Health Services, and United Memorial Medical Center.

It is anticipated that approximately 550 GLOW region students will attend Genesee Community College on March 24, 2023, where they will be able to learn first-hand about exciting career opportunities in the healthcare sector by meeting representatives and professionals from various healthcare organizations.

“We greatly appreciate the support of our sponsors to date as they are integral in making these types of events successful,” said Angela Grouse, Co-Chair, GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare.  “We hope that the commitment of these sponsors will encourage other healthcare organizations to consider participating and supporting an event that can help them address their workforce needs.”

“Business and educational organizations and economic development agencies from across the region are once again collaborating to provide an incredible opportunity for GLOW region students to learn about good-paying careers right in their own backyard,” said Karyn Winters, Co-Chair, GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare.

Sponsorships for the March 24th event are available at the Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,000), and Bronze ($500) levels.

Press release:

GLOW Works Inc. is building on the momentum of its annual GLOW With Your Hands manufacturing event with an expansion to serve the healthcare sector with GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare on Friday, March 24, 2023, at Genesee Community College.

“A critical component of the success of that event is the support of sponsorships by companies across the GLOW region to bring hundreds of students to one location for an immersive career exploration experience,” said Karyn Winters, GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare Co-Chair.

“Sponsors are one of the main reasons we have seen so much success with the GLOW With Your Hands manufacturing event, and we are hopeful that healthcare entities will experience similar success by supporting this event,” said Chris Suozzi, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair.  “Similar to the manufacturing sector, there is strong demand from healthcare employers to identify the next generation of workers for great careers in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.”

GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare will provide the healthcare sector with the opportunity to meet and recruit their future workforce. Students will have the opportunity to learn and interact with companies from various sectors of the healthcare industry, including hospitals and health systems and jobs in nursing, mental health, social services and first aid.   They will also engage with local colleges, universities, and secondary and post-secondary training programs to learn about career pathways that will provide a sound return on their investment.

“This is another incredible opportunity for students to learn about good-paying careers in the healthcare sector with companies right here in the GLOW region,” said Angela Grouse, GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare Co-Chair. “Healthcare is a dynamic field and an essential component of the regional economy as evidenced by various expansions and developments across the GLOW area, and the robust training programs for students ready to explore careers in healthcare.”

There are sponsorship opportunities for the March 24 event at the Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,000) and Bronze ($500) levels.

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare, visit www.GLOWWithYourHands.com/healthcare or contact Chris Suozzi atcsuozzi@gcedc.com.

As promised, Genesee County Fairgrounds was overrun with kids — more than 1,000 of them — for most of Tuesday.

But instead of it being some kind of free-for-all riot, the students from 30 school districts were there to focus on work. As part of a GLOW With Your Hands initiative, the event offered several stations where kids could not only see and hear about various careers in the work world but also get hands-on experience to get a real feel for what the different fields are like.

This was the fourth such event, and with an ever-growing attendance, Co-Chairman Chris Suozzi said.

“In 2019 we had over 800 students, and this year we had over 1,000. Then we had 50 vendors, today we have 65 vendors,” Suozzi said. “Students can start exploring careers that work with your hands, and by the way, all of these careers are local. It’s a whole day of getting out of the classroom … and exploring different careers, especially for kids who are career-focused. It’s all about getting kids to focus on these great careers that we have locally.”

School districts represented the four counties of GLOW — Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming. Organizers consider it the region’s largest hands-on career exploration fair that provided interactive experiences with skilled trades, advanced manufacturing, food and beverage manufacturing, construction and agriculture fields.

Another plus was that kids also met with professionals in those fields, and potential future employers, organizers said.

“While the record participation of our students and businesses is welcome, the true success of GLOW With Your Hands is the having a youth arrive at our event and discover a passion for a career that they may have never considered before,” Co-Chairman Jay Lazarony said in a press release. “Our exhibitors, volunteers, sponsors and organizers are dedicated to supporting students today, and throughout their path to success.”

Students rotated through stations where they were able to operate backhoes and excavators, compete in nail driving and construction competitions, and test their skills on dairy farming and welding simulators.

Chris Suozzi

“It’s incredible to see so many students that are excited about careers right in their own backyard,” Suozzi said. “Our companies are growing, and today demonstrates that the national workforce challenge can be solved locally.”

Students weren’t the only ones to enjoy the fun of digging in the dirt, as state Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon visited the fairgrounds and acknowledged her fascination with excavators. She encouraged the young participants to pursue one of the many careers they glimpsed during the day.

“This is an opportunity for young people to come into a career fair and really experience things with their hands I was over at megatronic station, they can do the circuitry, the air pressure, there’s all kinds of animal husbandry on one side, moving excavators, bucket trucks for young people not to just read about a skill, or have somebody talk about it, but doing it themselves,” Reardon said. “They’re petting the cows and calves, and doing all the megatronic set-up. It’s great to watch them interact with each other and interact with these skill sets. They’re really excited. We need these kinds of career fairs so these young people can make a really smart career path that will sustain their lives.”

She thanked event organizers for hosting the career fair, and reminded the public of the 96 career centers throughout New York that have online training and job resources.

Click here for more information about GLOW WithYour Hands. 

Roberta Reardon

Top Photo: A student takes control of an excavator after getting some hands-on lessons during Tuesday's GLOW With Your Hands event; students from 30 school districts within Genesee, Orleans, Livingston and Wyoming counties learn about everything from milking a cow and performing utility work on a pole to mechanical repairs, food chain occupations and laying bricks during the fourth GLOW event at Genesee County Fairgrounds. Photos by Stephen Ognibene.

Press release:

GLOW With Your Hands is coming back to the Genesee County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, Sept. 27 and is anticipating its largest turnout of students and vendors since its inception in 2019. Over 1,000 students from 28 school districts across the GLOW region will be arriving to the fairgrounds for the day-long, hands-on career exploration event.

Approximately 65 businesses will provide hands-on activities and simulations in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food production, skilled trades sectors as well as the various branches of the military. Students will have the opportunity to learn about career opportunities in their own backyard.

“The historic participation of students and businesses is the result of the hard work of our committee members, volunteers, sponsors, and local stakeholders,” said Chris Suozzi, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair. “Interacting with GLOW region companies opens many possibilities for students entering the workforce as employers are eagerly ready to hire our well-trained graduates to fill high-growth and high-demand positions within their operations.”

Businesses will bring hands-on simulation-type activities to portray accurate examples of what their job entails, including Platinum Sponsors National Grid, LandPro Equipment, and Genesee Construction. National Grid will have its team members on site with a line pole to demonstrate line work. LandPro Equipment will have members from its team operating John Deere equipment. Genesee Construction will welcome students to a heavy equipment display. There will also be multiple trade and contractor organizations putting on displays of bricklaying, electrician work, pipelaying, and more. 

“Participating businesses put in a tremendous effort at providing the students as accurate a demonstration of the type of work their workforce performs on a day-to-day basis and to spark career inspiration and exploration in our youth,” said Jay Lazarony, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair. “We are counting down the days until September 27^th when all of the hard work over the last several months by many groups and organizations across the GLOW region will become a reality.”

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands, please visit glowwithyourhands.com

Brett Doward (top photo) and Levi Bennett (second photo) might want a rematch in next year's boxcar derby -- assuming there is one, and by all indications, there will be -- after facing off against each other in both each other's first heat of the day and in the finals for their age bracket.

That finals race had to be run twice after the first race wound up in a tie.  

In the first match of the Doward/Bennett rivalry, Doward won by a wheel.  In the first heat of the finals, the race ended in a tie.

In that second race for the Suozzi Memorial Trophy, Doward won handily. 

The day was also marked by an appearance by Roger Martin with a boxcar he built himself in the late 1930s and which took him to the national championships in 1940.  His son ran it once down the Ellicott Avenue hill, where Martin's car had seen past glory.

There were 28 competitors running against each other in pairs with double-elimination until the final rounds.

The derby was sponsored by the Business Improvement District and Glow With Your Hands.

Previously

• BID Boxcar Derby to honor memories and create new ones in Batavia
• Build Day for boxcar derby brings, kids, families and volunteers downtown

Dominic Darch and Brett Doward, winners of the 7-10 and 11-13-year-old brackets.

The start of the first run of the finals race for the 11-13 bracket. Levi Bennet on the left, Brett Doward on the right.

Bennett on the left and Doward on the right.

Doward in the lead at the end of the first race.

Lilly Gray glances back at Shannon Maute, BID director, as she beats her in an exhibition race at the end of the event.

Press release:

GLOW With Your Hands is partnering with AQS Redemption Inc. to collect bottles and cans to help fund career exploration programs. The returns will go into a workforce development fund at GLOW Works, Inc. and be available for use toward future workforce programming in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

“GLOW Works, Inc. was created to help fund programs for workforce training and development for the future workforce in the GLOW region, including the annual GLOW With Your Hands event (to be held next on September 27^th at the Genesee County Fairgrounds),” said Jay Lazarony, GLOW With Your Hands Co-Chair. “On behalf of the GLOW With Your Hands committee, we appreciate AQS Redemption Inc. for its participation and support of this initiative and encourage the community to consider supporting this effort to benefit our youth.”

AQS Redemption Inc., is a NYS Bottle and Can Redemption Company that will be coordinating the collections. Residents can schedule complimentary pick-ups or drop off their redeemable bottles and cans at the company’s location at 1 North Main Street in Elba, NY.  Businesses can also host a bottle and can drive at their workplace.  Residents and businesses can call at 585-250-0870 or email aqsredemption@gmail.com to find out more information.

“This is all about investing and participating in the success of our area youth and their future career aspirations,” said Quinn Schrader, CEO, AQS Redemption Inc.  “It’s a great way for our company to support the future workforce needs of businesses across our region.”

To kickoff Cans for Careers, a special donation station will be setup at the Batavia Downtown Business Improvement District's First Annual Box Car Derby on August 27^th starting at 9:30 AM. Local youth ages 7-13 years old built their own box cars and will race them down Ellicott Avenue.

“What better way to kick off this program than at the first annual box car derby where area youth will display their ingenuity and skills in designing and racing their own custom-made box cars,” said Chris Suozzi, GLOW With Your Hands co-chair.  “That’s what GLOW With Your Hands is all about and more importantly matching the skills of our youth with the needs of companies and businesses looking for the next generation of their workforce.”

For more information on how to be a part of Cans for Careers, please visit glowwithyourhands.com/cans-for-careers.

There are kids in every high school who, when it comes time to make that serious decision after graduation, just don’t know what they want to do, Molly Haungs says.

And the GLOW With Your Hands program is a way to introduce kids early on to many career options that don't necessarily require a costly college degree.

“I am a marketing manager, I have a college degree. It took me seven and a half years to get there. That's an expensive mistake, and that was a long time ago. It's an even more expensive mistake now. And I think if we can kind of get some of these kiddos that just aren't really sure what they want to do, in front of businesses and in front of occupations, where they can feel a sense of fulfillment and know that they're gonna make a good honest living. There's just so much pride in that,” Haungs said during a GLOW celebration Wednesday at the site of her employer, Land Pro Equipment. “And this community offers a ton of opportunities. So that's really what the GLOW With Your Hands project is about, it’s aligning potential students with the businesses that have careers that can make it all happen and come together.”

Haungs and several other partners in the four-county effort (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming) got together to announce the program’s success in attracting those students, and area businesses, to participate.

This year 1,000 students will be learning various skills that are in demand in the workforce, from high-tech construction equipment operators and advanced manufacturing to food production and jobs in the agricultural market.

Land Pro Equipment, in progress with a project at its site at Saile Drive and Call Parkway, was one of the founders of the program and therefore has been a participating business for interested students. Haungs said this kick-off event couldn’t have happened at a better time “as we continue with the construction of our 50,000 square-foot regional training center with sales, service, and training facilities,” she said.

“In order to repair and maintain a large portfolio of John Deere equipment, we need workers with a specific set of skills because these machines use highly sophisticated electronics and other high-end controls. We are finding that GLOW With Your Hands is truly making a difference … I mean, you'll see kids that are driving nails. I got to see some things last year that, you just see a spark in their eye and interest created, and it's just such a good feeling when you see that light in one kid.”

Her company first saw such an initiative at a Finger Lakes Career Fair, and everyone agreed that it should be replicated here, Haungs said. One by one, key players joined in the effort, from Co-Chairmen Jay Lazarony and Chris Suozzi, GLOW With Your Hands School Coordinator Angela Grouse and Melinda Mack, New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals executive director, to marketing committee co-chairman Jim Krencik.

And a win-win became evident: employers provided opportunities for students to learn hands-on skills, students and their families could eliminate college debt, and more trained workers are becoming available for employers seeking people to fill positions.

As Suozzi said, “The GLOW region has become a hub for workforce development because of events such as GLOW With Your Hands, which provides hands-on experiences in growing and emerging fields that can lead to good paying career opportunities without students having to incur the cost of a college education.”

Students from eighth to 12th grades will come from all four counties for a career boot camp of sorts, learning hands-on skills and trades and having the opportunity to dip their toes in several occupational pools, so to speak.

More than 45 vendors have already committed to participate in hands-on activities and simulations in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food production, skilled trades sectors, and various branches of the military.

Mack said the efforts of GLOW With Your Hands represent the impact that workforce development partnerships are having for the next generation of talent.

“GLOW With Your Hands is a model of how regional stakeholders are collaborating on workforce development initiatives that provide industries across many sectors with a pipeline of prospective skilled workers,” she said. “We are very passionate about workforce development, it is our goal to provide voice, knowledge, and accelerating progress in this field through events and initiatives like GLOW With Your Hands.”

The student participants will converge on Genesee County Fairgrounds on Sept. 27, and, as a result of this program, local residents have “many options for good-paying, family-sustaining jobs,” Lazarony said.

“But the job is not done. We need to focus on the next generation of workers because of the immediate need for skilled workers due to the rate of retiring laborers. It's important to note, that a number of these jobs do not require a four-year college degree. Graduating students can start their careers without incurring or letting their parents incur the cost of college education,” he said.

“There was a time not too long ago that you didn't have a college degree and you couldn't get a good paying job, a family-sustaining job. That's not the case any longer,” he said. “Simply put, employers that report skilled workers now, especially those that can grow within their companies in the coming decades, through our collaboration with the business sector, and stakeholders in government events like GLOW With Your Hands, are helping meet this demand. The future for our regional economy depends on us meeting this demand.”

Haungs also credits Karen Winters of Genesee County’s Business Education Alliance as the one who “kind of got in front of the right people to make this happen.” From there, it snowballed into a much larger territory of workforce development opportunities for students, she said.

“And it was just a trickle-down effect of people, just knowing that we need this, and knowing that this is going to make a difference,” Haungs said.

Top photo from left, Jay Lazarony, Angela Grouse, Molly Haungs, Melinda Mack, Chris Suozzi, and Jim Krencik celebrate the GLOW With Your Hands program, which will involve 1,000 students from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties at a hands-on training Sept. 27 at Genesee County Fairgrounds. Photos by Joanne Beck.

Press release:

GLOW With Your Hands is hosting a “Night at the Ballpark” in conjunction with the Batavia Muckdogs on Friday, July 29^th at 7 PM. Participating companies and businesses from the GLOW Region will be in attendance to showcase activities that will be on display at the 3^rd annual GLOW With Your Hands event on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at the Genesee County Fairgrounds.

GLOW With Your Hands Committee members will be on site to share information, giveaways, and assist with hands-on activities during the game.

Among the vendors attending and the activities they are promoting include:

• Allegheny Farms: Heavy Equipment Display
• Bricklayers and Allied Contractors Local #3: Brick Wall Activity
• Summit Street Physical Therapy: Demonstrations
• Genesee Valley BOCES: Clean Hands Activity
• Transfer VR: Virtual Reality Career Exploration

“We invite all of our past and future GLOW With Your Hands participants and our entire GLOW community to join us for both a great game and the opportunity to see some of what makes our event so impactful,” said GLOW Workforce Development Board Executive Director, Jay Lazarony. “We also hope the event at the ballpark will generate more interest among businesses and companies to join us at this year’s event.”

“We want to provide the best day possible on September 27^th for GLOW region students by having high-quality vendor activities in order to create a fun, educational, learning environment,” said GLOW With Your Hands, Co-Chair, Chris Suozzi.. “The hundreds of students who will be attending GLOW With Your Hands are the next generation of skilled laborers and professionals, and we are confident that based on the past success of the previous events that area companies will find well-qualified and highly trainable candidates for employment.”

Press release:

GLOW With Your Hands is on the search for volunteers to help support the day-long, hands-on career exploration event for GLOW Region students on September 27, 2022.

Launched in 2019, GLOW with Your Hands is an annual hands-on career exploration event in which over 800 middle and high school students from 25 school districts in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties learn about high-growth and high-demand career opportunities in agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and the skilled trades among others.

Volunteers are needed in all aspects of the event including hard hat and student bag assembly, post-event clean-up, table and chair setup, and guiding students throughout the day. Volunteers ensure the event runs smoothly in a timely manner. 

“The success of GLOW With Your Hands would not be possible without the help and hard work of our volunteers,” said GLOW Workforce Development Board Executive Director, Jay Lazarony. “Volunteers make the student experience worthwhile, educational, and enjoyable! There are many moving parts to the event, the more people helping us out, the better this day will be for our future generation.”

Annually, the event averages roughly 100 volunteers, with 50 – 75 individuals working directly with the students. Some volunteers will be paired with students individually for assistance. There are several vendors that rely on volunteers to facilitate a positive learning environment to make sure students are having fun and staying safe.

“Volunteers play an important role to encourage students to participate in hands-on career demonstrations and ask employers questions that can help them understand job opportunities in their own backyard,” said GLOW With Your Hands Volunteer Committee leader Karyn Winters. “We are a volunteer-based event, the people involved are invested in the future of GLOW region students and want them to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Volunteers must be at least 18 years or older. Additional information and volunteer applications are available here:https://www.glowwithyourhands.com/volunteer.

Additionally, GLOW With Your Hands leaders encourage community members to consider joining the program’s organizing committee and sub-committees.

“Our initial volunteers enabled GLOW With Your Hands to become a reality, and we welcome new leaders to support the continued growth of these opportunities,” Lazarony said. “Our organizing committee and sub-committees are always in need of new energy and new ideas as we build the best experience for our youth.”

Press release:

Sponsors, led by businesses that have made hands-on impressions with hundreds of students, are stepping up to bring career exploration to GLOW With Your Hands.

Genesee Construction, LandPro Equipment, and National Grid will be platinum sponsors for GLOW With Your Hands 2022, which is coming back to the Genesee County Fairgrounds in Batavia on September 27th, 2022.

Launched in 2019, GLOW with Your Hands conducted the first hands-on career exploration event in which over 800 middle and high school students from 25 school districts in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties learn about high-growth and high-demand career opportunities in agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and the skilled trades among others.

“GLOW With Your Hands introduces students to careers that provide good-paying jobs with excellent benefits and opportunities for growth that do not require 4 years of college and the expense of tuition that goes along with that,” said GCEDC Vice President of Business and Workforce Development, Chris Suozzi. “The bottom line is that dynamic and growing companies in the GLOW region need skilled workers now. Sponsors like Genesee Construction, LandPro Equipment, and National Grid have recognized this and make investments that improve students’ awareness and readiness in our region.”

As of May 10, GLOW With Your Hands 2022 has received sponsorships from 20 manufacturing, skilled trades, agriculture, and food and beverage companies across the GLOW region. A complete list of 2022 and past sponsors is available at GLOWWithYourHands.com/sponsors.

“Our sponsors are one of the main reasons we have seen so much success and interest with GLOW With Your Hands these past few years,” said GLOW Workforce Development Board Executive Director Jay Lazarony. “It is important for our students to be exposed to companies that offer career opportunities in their backyard rather than thinking they have to move somewhere else for a career opportunity.”

Hundreds of students will once again experience hands-on activities and demonstrations to enhance their understanding and interest in careers at companies within the GLOW region. Exhibits and workplace simulations will include demonstrations of mechatronics, welding, bricklaying, electrical lineman work and others. Students will be able to learn about careers in food packaging, veterinary sciences, animal nutrition and commercial trucking.

“We want GLOW students to embrace and learn about their career options before graduating from high school. Our corporate partners provide these students a chance to experience a trade or skill they have not encountered before,” Suozzi continued.

For more information about GLOW With Your Hands, including volunteer opportunities and event details, visit GLOWWithYourHands.com.

More than 700 students from throughout the GLOW region -- including students from every high school in Genesee County --  participated Tuesday in GLOW With Your Hands at the Genesee County Fairgrounds.

The event gives students a chance to experience a variety of trades including, bricklaying, carpentry, electrical, mechanical, and various forms of manufacturing.  

Among the 40 companies participating wereOxbow, Liberty Pumps, and O-AT-KA Milk.  Major sponsors included LandPro and Genesee Construction.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

To view or purchase pictures, click here.