Rockland Community College Job Fair Showcases Tappan Zee Opportunities

By Michael Riconda

image (1)Suffern – Local elected officials gathered at Rockland Community College’s Eugene Levy Field House on April 9 to greet a multitude of job-seekers and explain steps taken at local and state levels to enhance employment opportunities in the county, including opportunities with the new Tappan Zee Bridge project.

The 15th annual job fair featured 70 local employers who are currently seeking applicants. RCC President Cliff Wood explained the scope of the job fair aims at the college’s longstanding mission to not only educate students but prepare them for the workforce,

“We know that RCC belongs to this community,” Wood explained. “It’s our responsibility to serve the community in a variety of ways.”

One of the major employers emphasized by speakers was Tappan Zee Constructors, which continues to seek labor for the ongoing rebuild of the Tappan Zee Bridge, a project State Senator David Carlucci explained was a golden opportunity for both employers and job applicants.

“By rebuilding the Tappan Zee Bridge, we’re going to be able to put thousands of people to work right here in our community and pave the way to have the most technologically advanced, up-to-date infrastructure in the nation, making sure we can compete and be a viable economic powerhouse in the future,” Carlucci explained.

Special Advisor to the Governor Brian Conybeare explained the State Thruway Authority was working with Department of Labor and Tappan Zee Constructors to promote opportunities which will slowly become available over the course of the next 12 to 24 months.

“There will be thousands of jobs made available in all types of fields, not just heavy construction and union workers,” Conybeare explained.

A previous informational event hosted by Conybeare at Rockland Community College elucidated the new bridge project’s hiring process, which will include both union and non-union workers and cover areas including construction, shipping, clerical, information technology, and management. Tappan Zee Constructors will work partly through labor organizations to find local hires.

The New NY Bridge Commission will also be hosting a business-to-business event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Suffern on April 24, which will aim to foster cooperation between businesses and get them involved in the project.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login