UB wants workforce ready for future jobs

By Joyce Kryszak

Buffalo, NY – UB is getting ready to fill the jobs it says will be coming to the region in the future. On Thursday, UB officials announced the creation of a new advisory board to help fill the pipeline with trained workers.

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When UB rolled out its ambitious UB 2020 plan it pledged that the expansion would bring hundreds of new jobs to the region. That was before the economic crisis hit. Since then, state funding cuts have put some of the plan on hold. But UB President John Simpson said the plan eventually will be realized.

He said it doesn't make sense to wait until that time to get a workforce prepared. So, the university created an advisory council to start filling the pipeline with qualified workers.

The nine-member council will help identify the types of jobs that could be on the horizon, especially in the biotech field. They will also determine what skills workers will need and make sure the appropriate training is available.

Community leader June Hoeflich will chair the council. She said another major focus of the council is to ensure that there also will be plenty of job opportunities for minorities and women.

The council will work with UB's new office for Economic Engagement. That office is already seeking out partnerships with area businesses to advance UB 2020's plan. UB Vice President Marsha Henderson heads the initiative. She said they need to have a diverse workforce ready for the opportunities being created.

UB officials said healthcare and the biotech industry will be the biggest employers. They say the new UB-Kaleida clinical translational research center that is opening next year will create 275 jobs.