Well-paying jobs at places like Howes Cave's Kintz Plastic are going unfilled because workers with the necessary skills are nowhere to be found.
That's what Wynn Kintz and Hudson Valley Community College Professor Dave Larkin told Congressman Paul Tonko when he toured the plastics manufacturing plant last Tuesday.
"CNCs, CAD-there's a crying need in this country for this," Mr. Larkin said, referring to computer numerical control (CNC) and computer-aided design (CAD), used in machining.
"There are tons of jobs there, but not the skills."
Mr. Larkin said he's placing all of his students at HVCC-many of whom have had their two-year education there financed by their future employer-in jobs starting in the $20,000s and in the mid-$30,000s after a year and a half; with overtime, he said, salaries can jump to $80,000-$100,000.
"A lot of our high school graduates would be a lot better off if they were funneled to two-year technical schools," agreed Mr. Kintz.
Gail Breen, head of Workforce Solutions for Fulton, Montgomery, and Schoharie Counties, said the demand for middle-skill level jobs is strong-even in this economy.
It's a message Washington-along with students and parents-needs to hear, she said.
Congressman Tonko's tour introduced him to Kintz employees including Bill Miller and Lance Rotolo, both of whom have worked there for 20 years.
Mr. Miller came to Kintz right out of high school-his father also works there-and showed Congressman Tonko how his department uses a computer to model the plastic pieces for orders from international markets-including American companies doing business in China.
Congressman Tonko pointed to House Democrats' Make It In America plan, which encourages businesses to innovate and manufacture products for export around the world.
"We can't recover economically without manufacturing," he said, "and we need to build on companies like Kintz Plastic and create well-paying jobs for the middle class. We need to partner with industry to provide the solutions that will put people back to work."