FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Putnam County Executive Joins Sen. Schumer in Closing “Skills Gap”

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MaryEllen Odell
Putnam County Executive
(845) 808-1001

March 28, 2013

Putnam County Executive Joins Sen. Schumer in Closing “Skills Gap”

County Executive MaryEllen Odell accompanied U.S. Senator Charles Schumer last Monday to a high-tech machine manufacturing site in Putnam to show support for his legislation to bolster manufacturing jobs across the Hudson Valley.

“The AMERICA Works Act is a commonsense system not only to restructure the way workforce training programs are financed but how they are created. This will most certainly help our constituents who are entering the workplace for the first time, re-entering because of lay-offs, or looking for that encore career. They will be able to learn the skills that are necessary for the jobs that are available,” said Odell.

“Creating job training programs that actually prepare people to quickly enter the local workforce will strengthen our economy,” said Schumer. 

U. S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) introduced the AMERICA Works Act on March 25. Under this Act, industries such as manufacturing, construction and aerospace, will work together to create necessary skill standards for employees. Once industries have agreed upon a set of skill standards, curriculums will be formulated and developed into specific skill training programs. Graduates of these training programs will be issued industry-recognized credentials. 

Odell and Schumer met with Larry Fryer, owner and president of Fryer Machine Systems, a family owned and operated company which opened in Patterson in 1982. Today Fryer manufactures more than 50 models of machine tools and specializes in CNC (computer numerical control) engineering used worldwide and in the aerospace and automotive industries. Fryer Machine Systems currently operates in the company’s 47,000 sq. ft. facility.

“We are very excited about Senator Schumer’s American Works Act,” said Fryer. “Fryer Machine is one of the fastest growing manufacturers in Putnam County and we have experienced first hand the limitations on growth due to the lack of trained workers.  We see this type of manufacturing job training initiative as key to hiring the staff needed to allow us to expand.”