Niagara County, home to three cities and numerous towns and villages, is grappling with a tricky issue: how to boost job growth and attract job applicants for skilled positions in an area where only 27% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, as per the U.S. Census Bureau.
Western New York is home to approximately 12 universities and colleges. Two universities — Niagara University and SUNY Niagara — and several work development programs are in Niagara County. But even with these educational institutions and vocational training programs, Niagara County grapples filling existing job vacancies and creating new employment opportunities.
The problem isn’t just a lack of education, skills and training, especially for those without a degree. People without a degree can find suitable employment by leveraging their relevant skills, experience, or by taking advantage of job training opportunities. These jobs, paid on an hourly basis, include roles such as bus drivers, certified nursing assistants, hospitality workers or truck drivers.
Despite this, companies often face challenges in attracting and keeping employees in these roles. It is common to see a pattern where job candidates attend the initial training but do not always show up to complete it. Many business owners and managers are let down when trainees who have finished their training either only show up for one day, a few days, or not at all. As a result, there is a continuous loop of hiring and turnover, which not only takes up precious time but also places a financial burden on both large corporations and small businesses.
What should a business owner do when a new hire is a no-show? It’s not their responsibility to motivate a new employee to come to work.
It’s not just companies in search of low-skilled labor that are facing hurdles in recruitment and retention. Recently, I have opined about the unique challenges that the Niagara Falls Central School District (NFCSD) is experiencing in its efforts to hire qualified teachers, largely because of the school board’s strict adherence to its residency requirement.
Well, residency challenges extend beyond NFCSD. Even the Niagara County District Attorney’s office is currently dealing with staffing shortages because of a county residency requirement as reported in the Niagara Gazette. Wendy Brown, the former village clerk for Youngstown, lost her job due to not being a resident and lacking a waiver that would have exempted her.
When you browse through the job postings on any local government website, you’ll often find that living in a specific city, town, village, or county is a common requirement. Additionally, a significant number of these available positions require candidates to have advanced skill certification and either a bachelor’s degree or higher, regardless of whether they need to pass a civil service exam or meet specific qualifications.
To reiterate, data from the U. S. Census Bureau reveals that 27% of Niagara County’s residents, aged 25 or older, have earned a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Around 13% have attained a master’s degree or higher. Given the small proportion of residents with advanced degrees, it’s not unexpected that municipal job vacancies requiring such qualifications remain unfilled. When you factor in the residency stipulation, it’s unsurprising that recruitment poses a significant challenge.
Progress is possible, but it requires acknowledgment that our local communities lack a highly skilled workforce to fill our most credentialed job openings. This is true even before considering efforts to attract and cultivate new industries. It also means being open to reevaluating residency requirements.
Shouldn’t policymakers be rethinking residency requirements to address job vacancies demanding higher qualifications and advanced degrees, all while strategizing to attract new industries?
By the time this column is published, the Niagara County Legislature may have started to carefully discuss how the county residency requirement impacts the hiring obstacles in the District Attorney’s office at its Tuesday meeting.
Might it be worthwhile for policymakers to consider introducing an “Advanced Degree Exemption?” With this strategy, a revision of a residency policy would clearly state that job candidates who currently hold the required advanced degree (such as a master’s or doctoral degree) would be exempt from residency restrictions. It’s certainly an idea worth exploring.
This idea assumes that applicants for municipal positions that require high-level qualifications typically already own a home and live in a community that fulfills their social, economic, and educational needs, especially if they have school-aged children.
The scarcity of affordable housing can also greatly discourage potential employees. An “Advanced Degree Exemption” could potentially expand the pool of eligible professionals who might otherwise be deterred by issues such as the lack of reasonably priced housing, walkable and secure neighborhoods, and quality schools.
It could also enhance the diversity of expertise in the workforce by drawing in professionals from different geographical areas. This would introduce a spectrum of perspectives and possibly promote innovative problem-solving. People with advanced degrees hold distinctive skills and can make substantial contributions to the community, even if their residences are located outside of it.
Clearly the complexities of employment challenges in Niagara County are evident. These issues span across the areas of education, recruitment, retention, and residency. The most effective way to address some of these issues is for policymakers to acknowledge the problem. Perhaps it’s time for a thorough review and modification of laws that no longer meet the needs of the evolving employment landscape. It’s a daunting task, but a necessary one.