On Thursday, February 11, the top 10% of Chemung County public school students were invited to "Students 2 Workforce," a forum aimed at retaining these bright individuals in our community after college. The event was held at the Holiday Inn Riverview in Elmira from 6pm to 8:30pm.
Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli served as the emcee, and attendees and their parents also heard a keynote address from Southern Tier Economic Growth (STEG) President George Miner. Four business and community leaders served as panelists to talk about career paths and future opportunities. They were Marc Jackson, Owner of Moonlab Music; Ashley Slaybaugh, Communication and Marketing Specialist from Schweizer Aircraft; Dr. Scott Beres, Owner of Market Street Chiropractic; and Christian Harris from the New York State Department of Labor.
Over 50 students came to the event with their parents, totaling about 120 attendees. The first half hour was dedicated to networking with area business leaders, politicians, young professionals, and social and civic entrepreneurs. Before and after the program, families took advantage of networking opportunities by exchanging college and career plans, contact information, and potential future opportunities in Chemung County.
The event was sponsored by Pipeline 4 Progress, a regional workforce and economic development agency aimed at attracting and retaining young professionals throughout the Southern Tier of New York. CSS Workforce NY was also a sponsor - they aim to provide free workshops and workforce preparation systems to ensure that area employers have access to quality talent. Elmira, Elmira Heights, and Horseheads Central Schools were also heavily involved in sponsoring and planning "Students 2 Workforce."
The planning committee hopes this inaugural event will be replicated throughout the Southern Tier. It was initially planned in response to the 2009 Chemung County Economic Forum, where high school students were invited and expressed great appreciation and interest in staying up to date with economic development in their communities.