The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), January 22, 2007, Monday

Copyright 2007 Post-Standard

All Rights Reserved

All Rights Reserved.

The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)

January 22, 2007 Monday

FINAL EDITION

SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. B1

HEADLINE: COUNTY TO STUDY REFUGEE WORKERS;

GOAL IS TO MATCH SKILLS OF IMMIGRANTS TO BUSINESSES THAT NEED EMPLOYEES.

BYLINE: By BoNhia Lee Staff writer

BODY:

The Onondaga County Office of Economic Development has received a $9,000 federal grant to study the training needs of the local refugee and immigrant work force.

The county will work with Catholic Charities of Onondaga County to oversee the project, called "Journey 2 Jobs" Workforce Development. The study begins Tuesday with interviews of Burmese and Meskhetian Turk refugees.

The Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations will conduct the study.

"We recognize there's a lot of immigrants," said County Executive Nicholas Pirro. "A lot of them have skills, and we have a lot of businesses that need workers."

Cornell's experts and staff will also interview Somali Bantu and Liberian refugees and meet with businesses.

Carolyn May, the county's senior economic development specialist, said that when she visits local businesses many employers tell her they need more skilled workers.

"If we have all these jobs and people who need work, let's talk to both sides," she said.

The study will identify the hurdles that refugees and businesses encounter when it comes to employment, May said.

The barriers refugees experience include language and transportation, said Pirro, who lives on the city's North Side, which has a growing refugee population.

The study results, expected this summer, are expected to help the county find better ways to train refugees looking for jobs.

BoNhia Lee can be reached at blee@syracuse.com or 470-2134.