UTICA -- Oneida County Executive Ralph J. Eannace, Jr., today urged employers and educators to continue the partnerships that have helped hundreds of Oneida County young people preview the careers offered by local employers.

"We have begun the work of building a better tomorrow, and all of you here today are a part of that achievement," Eannace told the second annual "Call Mohawk Valley Home" Breakfast Celebration at the Hotel Utica, attended by about 150 people including employers, students and educators. "The partnership among everyone here is a solid foundation for the future. We must build upon that foundation to retain one of Oneida County’s most important resources – our young people. When we work together for the sake of the future, we succeed. The proof of that is in this room today, and in the hundreds of young people who have a positive image of their home towns."

"High school students here in our region are a tremendously important audience for our ‘Call Mohawk Valley Home’ effort," Eannace said. "This annual breakfast is a great opportunity for students to learn about the career fields in which they have an interest by talking with local CEOs who can help them make education and career plans and learn about local career opportunities."

Students from 10 school districts attended the event: Brookfield, Holland Patent, New Hartford, New York Mills, Oriskany, Sauquoit Valley, Utica, Waterville, Westmoreland and Whitesboro. Three student speakers – Ashwini Nayak of Whitesboro, Tracy O’Connor of Oriskany and Elizabeth Dodd of New Hartford – shared their experiences in programs such as New Visions, the Regional Program of Excellence and the School and Business Alliance (SABA)

Eannace saluted the local leaders who attended the event.

"Because we have so many public-spirited employers willing to take time to work with young people, this event will be a truly wonderful opportunity for high school students to make connections that could help them when they seek internships and employment," Eannace said. "This is exactly the type of continuing public-private partnership that can help our area grow."

Students learned about five career clusters: Business and Information Systems; Health Care; Human and Public Service; Engineering and Technology; and Arts and Humanities. Representatives of employers in these career clusters included: Andrew Peterson, president, Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare; Dr. Steven Kalies, Superintendent, Oneida County BOCES; Dr. Todd Hutton, president, Utica College; Donna Donovan, President and Publisher, Observer-Dispatch, Steve Merren, General Manager, WKTV; Pat Costello, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; and Bill Nicholson, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.

"These leaders know the future of their industries and the long-term needs of our region," Eannace said. "Students at this event were able to make important connections, learn first-hand about their career fields and understand the great potential careers that await them here in the Mohawk Valley."

The Oneida County School and Business Alliance (SABA), which works with "Call Mohawk Valley Home," has been a major partner in the effort, said Alice J. Savino, Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board, which oversees Oneida County’s "Call Mohawk Valley Home" initiative.

"SABA offers high school students a wide variety of interesting career-related activities. Through SABA’s efforts at job shadowing and bringing employers and students together, our young people get to learn about careers, and the growing number of high-paying options open to them in this area," Savino said. "When we show young people the careers open to them in this region, they are interested in a future in the Mohawk Valley."

Oneida County BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Steven Kalies said that SABA’s success is due to its many partnerships. "Teamwork and sharing are fundamental to the mission of everything we do at BOCES," he said. "Kay Clements, the Executive Director of SABA, has done a wonderful job of bringing employers and students together. In the long run, this helps the students, the employers and our community."

"Growing a stronger workforce for the future begins with information that lets high school students understand the growth potential that exists in Oneida County," said Oneida County Workforce Development Director David Mathis. "This event plants an important seed."

"Call Mohawk Valley Home" is a cooperative effort involving government, education, business and the community to grow the region’s workforce and population, and improve the region’s self-image. For more information on this innovative effort, check out the Web site CallMohawkValleyHome.com.

(Students wanting information on any of the career exploration programs through Oneida County BOCES are urged to contact SABA Executive Director Kay Clements at 793-8684.)