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Workforce Development Roundtable with Congressman Tom Suozzi at Nassau BOCES facilitated by Ignite LI
Workforce Development Roundtable with Congressman Tom Suozzi at Nassau BOCES facilitated by Ignite LI
On January 29, 2026, Ignite LI helped facilitate an important workforce development roundtable with Congressman Tom Suozzi at the Barry Tech Center at Nassau BOCES in Westbury.
The discussion brought together leaders from manufacturing, education, training, and workforce organizations to focus on a shared challenge facing Long Island, ensuring our region has the skilled workforce needed to support today’s manufacturing industry and prepare for what’s ahead.
Build a Better Understanding of Regional Manufacturing Needs
A major topic of the roundtable was the development of a regional database that could help industry partners, educators, trainers, and future employees better understand Long Island’s current and future manufacturing workforce needs.
Participants talked about how a shared, data-driven resource could support efforts to:
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Identify the most in-demand skills and occupations
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Better align training and education programs with employer needs
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Help students and job seekers explore career pathways in manufacturing
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Strengthen Long Island’s competitiveness in advanced manufacturing
This kind of tool has the potential to bring greater coordination across sectors and ensure workforce investments are meeting real-time regional demand.
Next Steps toward Action
Ignite LI will be meeting with our manufacturing and workforce taskforce in the coming weeks to outline next steps and begin shaping the direction of this database initiative. The goal is to continue building a collaborative approach that supports employers while expanding opportunity for Long Islanders entering the workforce.
Thank You to Our Partners
Ignite LI would like to thank Congressman Tom Suozzi, Nassau BOCES, and all of the organizations that participated in this conversation.
We also extend special thanks to Mike Griffin of The Griffin Group Global, whose leadership and coordination were instrumental in bringing this roundtable together.
Ignite LI looks forward to continuing this work with our partners to strengthen Long Island’s manufacturing talent pipeline and support the region’s economic future.
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