Senator Carlucci and RCC Kick Off Largest Job Fair in Rockland County

SUFFERN, NY – In a coordinated effort to spur economic activity and boost local hiring, Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Orange), Rockland Community College President Dr. Cliff L. Wood, and businesses spanning the New York and New Jersey regions, together welcomed hundreds of job seekers that came to participate in this year’s job fair in Rockland County.

The event, which was held at RCC’s Eugene Levy Fieldhouse in Suffern, hosted 59 businesses that represented various sectors of the economy, including financial services, banking, utilities, healthcare, military, telecommunications and many more. School officials said that this was the largest job fair they have hosted in nearly a decade. Over 850 job seekers attended throughout the day.

Some of the participants included well-known reputable companies such as AFLAC, UPS, TD Bank, Verizon Wireless, and Lord and Taylor.

“Today’s job fair is further proof that when government and the private sector come together, everybody wins,” said Senator Carlucci. “Events like this provide a rare opportunity for job seekers to gain direct, one-on-one access with potential employers. We need to continue to do everything in our ability to ensure that anyone who wants a job can find one.”

Resources tables were also provided by Rockland County agencies, Rockland Community College, Tomorrow’s Workplace, ACCESS-VR/NY SED,  as well as an informational booth staffed by representatives of Senator Carlucci’s office.

Dr. Cliff L. Wood, President of Rockland Community College, said, "It is particularly appropriate for RCC to host a job fair, as community colleges nationwide play a major role in helping people prepare for and obtain jobs. We offer skills that lead directly to employment, whether for young people new to the job market, or for adults seeking to refresh their skills or gain new, marketable competencies."

The job fair comes on the heel of the recent New York State on-time and balanced budget agreement signed into law for the second year in a row. Senator Carlucci highlighted some of the measures included in the final package, including:

• New York Works Task Force – An innovative plan that puts New Yorkers back to work rebuilding the state’s infrastructure. State and federal dollars totaling $1.2 billion will be invested to accelerate the rehabilitation of 115 bridges and 2,000 miles of road projects. Further, the New York Works Program's Bridge and Pavement program will expedite projects through greater efficiency, consolidating regional contracts, and addressing critical infrastructure needs to create jobs and achieve real savings.
• Increased Education Funding – Increased K-12 spending by 4%, or $805 million, and includes an increase in community college aid, totaling just over $31 million.
• MTA Payroll Tax Reduction for Small Businesses – Further reduces the MTA Payroll Tax for employers and individuals to include professional employer organizations. Many small businesses are no longer stuck paying the tax by reforming legal technicalities that wrongly defined them as large businesses. Libraries also benefit with $1.3 million reimbursed from having paid the onerous tax.
• Regional Economic Councils Spur Economic Growth - A second round of funding for the Regional Economic Councils has set aside millions of dollars to develop long term strategic plans for economic growth in each region throughout New York.