Local officials held a ceremonial wall demolition Tuesday at Monroe Community College's downtown campus on State Street to kick off the construction of RochesterWorks' new Career Center.
The $14.5 million center is being built on the college campus's fifth floor and will offer the same services it does at its current location on College Avenue near Village Gate. Those services include career coaching, training referrals, support with digital skills, career assessments, and connections to supportive services.
"The new downtown Career Center will be the front door for our local workforce system," said Dave Seeley, CEO of RochesterWorks. "It's a place where everyone from our community, from every background, can discover careers, develop new skills, connect with employers, and really build a brighter future for themselves and their family."
Speakers including County Executive Adam Bello and House Rep. Joe Morelle highlighted how the project came about through collaboration among several organizations. They spoke of the benefit of the partnership between Monroe Community College and RochesterWorks.
"Investing in our students, our economy, and our workforce helps to ensure that we have reliable jobs that allow them to settle," Bello said. "That people have reliable jobs that allow them to settle down and continue to choose Monroe County as a place to live, work, and raise a family."
MCC President Deanna Burt-Nanna said the college and RochesterWorks already have established partnerships, such as career exploration programs for high school students. But, she added, having the two organizations in close proximity is about "synergies, simplicity, and opportunities."
"Today's milestone reminds us that no single entity can solve our workforce challenges alone," Burt-Nanna said. "But when we work together with a common purpose and a commitment to our community, we create lasting change."
