Workforce & Economic Development

Everywhere you go businesses are looking to hire, and County Executive Bello has prioritized investing in critical job training programs to ensure our residents have the skills needed to access good jobs that pay a living wage. Under County Executive Bello, Monroe County has made millions of dollars in investments in workforce development in high-demand fields like nursing, advanced manufacturing, and skilled trades.

As we train our workforce, we are also investing in the businesses and entrepreneurs that are vital to our economy. During County Executive Bello’s first term, Monroe County has increased its support for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and minority and women owned businesses. Adam has:

• Partnered with employers and expanded workforce development opportunities by investing more than $36.8M for apprenticeship training, advanced manufacturing, and health care workers, and committed $5.8M for youth job academic support, career training and placement, and mentorship. 
• Provided $37.1M in pandemic relief dollars to small businesses.
• Established a local Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) certification program with 200 businesses certified in the first year, a recommendation of the RASE Report.
• Made $2.8B in new investments through COMIDA, retaining 4,710 jobs and creating 3,692 new jobs at businesses like Li-Cycle, Plug Power, CooperVision, and Amazon.
• Committed funding for the construction of the new Applied Technology Center at Monroe Community College to ensure our students can receive training for high demand jobs.
• Increased investments supporting local arts, including $1M in JumpstARTS pandemic relief funding and $1.2M in increased operational support for arts organizations and festivals.