Finger Lakes Wired Allocating Additional $1.6 Million for Scholarships to Region's Businesses for Training

The Finger Lakes Wired is allocating an additional $1.6 million in funds - on top of $1.4 million already awarded - to make more scholarships available to businesses in the nine-county Finger Lakes region.

Businesses in the following industries may apply for up to $25,000 in funding: advanced manufacturing, alternative energy, bio/life sciences, business services, engineering, food and agriculture, healthcare (including not-for-profit healthcare organizations), information technology, and optics/Imaging.

"Training must accomplish one of several goals," added Hurlbutt. 1) Develop management competencies of mid to senior level managers, 2) Develop technical/occupational skill competencies of workers or, 3) Implement process or productivity improvement initiatives such as Lean, ISO, Six Sigma, or Sarbanes Oxley.

Since the Wired Scholarship program was launched in September 2006, more than 100 businesses have participated, receiving more than $1.4 million enabling them to offer training to increase the skills of 2,671 workers employed in key industries. The businesses also provided more than $3.3 million in matching resources to support the requested training.

"Wired is designed to support economic growth by developing regional talent," said Matthew C. Hurlbutt, Managing Director of Finger Lakes Wired. "The Scholarship Program is helping businesses accomplish that throughout the region."

For assistance or more information please contact:
Claudia Burcke, Finger Lakes Wired
255 North Goodman St., Rochester, NY 14607
Telephone: (585) 258-3541
Fax: (585) 232-6033