The HR Newsletter of the Council of Industry

November 6, 2025

Annual Luncheon & Member Expo November 21st

Join us on Friday, November 21st at the beautiful Grandview on the Hudson River, in Poughkeepsie NY, for our annual Luncheon & Member / Associate Member Expo.

Keynote Speaker: 

Maribel Cruz-Brown - Vice President, Economic Development & Key Account Management at the New York Power Authority (NYPA) - will speak about programs that the NYPA runs to help businesses and manufacturers. Programs include Recharge NY, which offers businesses a discounted power allocation if they commit to job creation or retention in New York State. 

Ms. Cruz-Brown will also discuss the Authority’s mission to “Lead the transition to a carbon-free, economically vibrant New York through customer partnerships, innovative energy solutions, and the responsible supply of affordable, clean, and reliable electricity,” and how that mission impacts Hudson Valley manufacturers.

We will also recognize the Fall 2024 and 2025 recipients of the Certificate in Manufacturing Leadership.

The Member/ Associate Member Expo will precede the luncheon from 11:00 - 12:15. Lunch will follow at 12:15 p.m. There is no charge to be part of the expo, but we require participants to be members and to purchase two seats.

Pricing:

Individual Ticket:  $85.00

Table of Ten: $800.00

Click here to learn more

THANK YOU TO OUR LUNCHEON SPONSORS!

Interested in Sponsoring?

Click here to learn more!

Council announces Program Management trade added to the Manufacturing Intermediary Apprenticeship Program

The Manufacturing Intermediary Apprenticeship Program, with the Council of Industry, is now offering a 7th trade: Project Management.

Project Management roles have been proven to help manufacturers reduce costs, improve quality and optimize production. For Manufacturing, this means overseeing every aspect of a project.

As many manufacturers turn towards more of a Project Management style, demand has grown for individuals trained to handle these responsibilities.

This demand caused the Council to start offering the trade to our members, said Emma Olivet, the Council's Workforce Development Manager.

This apprenticeship, offered through the NYS Department of Labor, requires 2,000 hours of On-the-Job Training required, along with related instruction, which will run over the course of a year.

"Even though many of our manufacturers may not have a position officially titled 'Project Manager,' most have someone who takes on those same responsibilities-planning, coordinating, and seeing projects through to completion," she continued. "This trade is also shorter compared to our other offerings, which is appealing for those who want to train people for these roles on the job."

There currently are two Project Management apprentices in the program, from FALA Technologies and Sono-Tek Corporation, who started in October.

"We’re really excited to see this trade grow and to see what it can do for our manufacturers," Emma Olivet said.

Interested in the Project Management trade? Click here to learn more

Council receives Community Impact Award at the 2025 Business Excellence Awards, hosted by Th!nk Dutchess

The Council is honored and humbled to have received Th!nk Dutchess Alliance for Business' Community Impact Award.

Hosted at the Culinary Institute, on October 30th, the Business Excellence Awards awarded six companies and organizations in the region.

"Having attended the Think Dutchess Business Excellence Awards in years past, it was especially meaningful for the Council of Industry to receive the Community Impact Award," said CEO Johnnieanne Hansen. "It is impossible to watch the honoree videos without feeling both emotional and proud of the collaboration happening in Dutchess County.

While this recognition honors more than 115 years of CI partnership with Dutchess County, it was also deeply meaningful to acknowledge the behind-the-scenes work of the Council and our members in launching the Mechatronics Program at DCC Fishkill, a passion-project spearheaded by our very own Harold King.

Harold and Ron Hicks have worked together for many years, and Ron’s remarks that evening perfectly captured both Harold’s leadership and the impact of our association.

In addition to being honored, it was wonderful to share the celebration with our newest members and our founding members alike. It was truly a night to remember. We are grateful to Dutchess County, Think Dutchess, and the nominating committee - and we look forward to continuing this partnership for the next 115 years."

Thank you again to Think Dutchess for this recognition!

Council Partners With RIT and DCC to Deliver Lean Manufacturing Training this Fall!

Nov. 12,13&14: Lean Six Sigma: Yellow Belt

Participants will learn a short history of each approach and how they can complement each other. They will be introduced to the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control improvement process and some of the tools associated with each stage.

The following topics will be focused on during the training:

• Resistance to Change
• 5-S and Visual Controls
• Team Building
• Problem Solving Process
• Statistical Thinking

Instructor Vinnie Buonomo from The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

Location:

DCC Fishkill - 461 US-9, Fishkill, NY 12524

Dates:

November 12, 13 & 14 - 8:30-4:30

Full Program Cost:

Individual Attendee: $600

To learn more contact Emma Olivet eolivet@councilofindustry.org

Health and Safety Sub Council Meeting - November 13th

Health and Safety Sub Council

Manufacturers face growing demands when it comes to workplace safety, environmental standards, and employee well-being. The EHS Sub-Council brings together professionals who lead these efforts to exchange ideas, share updates, and strengthen best practices across our member companies.

This group offers a collaborative setting to discuss real-world challenges, compliance updates, safety initiatives, and sustainability goals. Members are encouraged to bring forward topics or examples from their own facilities to guide meaningful conversation and learning.

Participation is open to EHS professionals, operations leaders, and anyone responsible for environmental, health, or safety programs within our manufacturing member companies. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

If you are an associate member or part of our extended community, please reach out to Johnnieanne to explore participation options.

Our first meeting will be hosted at MPI Inc., in Poughkeepsie, on November 13th from 8:30 - 11:00 AM. Click here to learn more

HR Manufacturing Sub Council Meeting - January 14th

Space is limited - contact us to register.

The HR Manufacturing Sub-Council brings together HR professionals from across our manufacturing member companies to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas in a dedicated, industry-specific setting.

This sub-council is open to Manfuacturing Member HR professionals, business owners, and anyone managing HR responsibilities within manufacturing member companies. The January meeting will be held on the 14^th at 8:30am at Selux Corporation in Highland.

(If you're an associate member or part of our extended network, reach out to Johnnieanne Hansen to discuss ways to join the conversation.)

Learn more (Manufacturing Members only please)

The Fall 2025 HVMFG is AVAILABLE NOW!

Adapting Today, Leading Tomorrow.

These are uncertain times for manufacturers across the globe and here in the Hudson Valley. Trade tensions and tariffs grab the headlines, but other forces—automation, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence—are reshaping long-standing business models, processes, and even products.

In this edition of HV MFG, we brought together a small group of member executives for a roundtable discussion on the risks and opportunities shaping their businesses today. Their insights reflect the collaboration and shared purpose that define the Council of Industry — a community where manufacturers connect, learn, and strengthen one another.

Other features include a profile of Caribbean Food Delights, a Rockland County–based manufacturer of authentic Jamaican patties and other delicacies, and a Leader Q&A with Deborah Smook and Eli Uriel, the husband-and-wife team behind Mt. Vernon–based TurboFil Packaging, who share how innovation and determination fuel their success.

We’ve also included a wide range of insights for manufacturers across the region.

Finally, we want to sincerely thank the many organizations who placed advertisements in this editon of HV Mfg. Your support of the Hudson Valley manufacturing, Council of Industry and this publication is greatly appreciated. 

Read the full version here.

Project Manager Apprentice Trade Addresses New Realities in the Manufacturing Workplace

The Council of Industry has added a 7^th sponsored manufacturing trade, Project Management, through The Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (MIAP.) These are New York State Department of Labor approved trades ranging in length from 12 months to 4 years. These apprenticeships consist of two pieces: On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Related Instruction (RI).

·      OJT allows an apprentice to learn firsthand from a skilled craftsperson who will demonstrate and share their experience in the field

·      In RI, apprentices will learn the theory - and knowledge - based components of the craft. They must complete 144 hours of classroom or online training each year.

Project management is critical in manufacturing for a number of reasons. It helps to optimize production processes and utilization of available resources, which can lead to improved product quality, reduced costs, and delivering products on time. Every project, from initial design to final production, requires meticulous planning and execution. The Project manager is the key to project success, and this trade provides the skills the Project Manager needs to be successful.

Work Processes (Skills learned on the Job) Approximate Hours for Industrial Manufacturing Technician (IMT):

Initiating Projects: 500 hours

Planning Projects: 500 hours

Executing Projects: 300 hours

Controlling Projects: 250 hours

Closing Projects: 250 hours

Additional Project Management Topics: 60 hours

Total Hours: 2,000

Minimum of 144 Hours of Related Instruction (Classroom Learning) Required for Each Apprentice for Each Year:

Safety, Health and the Workplace

·      General Workplace Safety

·      Right-to-Know/ Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

·      Sexual Harassment Prevention Training– must comply with Section 201-g of the Labor Law

Project Management Components

·      Project Management Professional qualification (PMP) or equivalent

·      Project Management (PM) techniques, methods and proficiency with PM tools (MS Project or other related tools)

·      Leadership and Team Building Skills

·      Multi-task contracts and/or subcontracts of various types, and complexity

·      Project Financial Management

·      Project Problem, Issue, Dependency and Risk Management

·      Resource Management

·      Critical thinking and problem solving

·      Contract negotiation

·      Conflict resolution

·      Microsoft Office, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Professional Development

·      Project Administration and Management Fundamentals

·      Effective Communications

·      Advanced Project Management

·      Team and Supervisor Communication Skills

·      Customer and Personal Service Fundamentals

·      Industry recognized credentials/certifications pertaining to the field

If you want to know more about this trade and if it might be right you’re your company contact Emma Olivet

Learn more about The Council of Industry’s Apprentice Program

Subscribers to the Manufacturing Career Hub can view candidate resumes and contact information by searching the Candidate ID Number in the iCIMS platform.

Not yet a participant of the Career Hub? Contact Emma Olivet directly for additional candidate details or to learn more about the recruiting initiative.

Candidate ID: 40491

Position Interest:  Public Engagement / Program & Operations Leadership

Position Level:   Mid-level to Senior

Skills: Professional with experience planning, coordinating, and managing programs, events, and community outreach initiatives serving diverse audiences. Experienced in establishing partnerships across organizations, overseeing content creation and logistics, and directing teams to implement initiatives. Works with strategic plans to convert ideas into actionable programs through collaboration, communication, and community engagement. Handles multiple responsibilities under time-sensitive conditions and participates in high-volume, public-facing projects.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science

Experience:   Managed programs and events supporting community development, workforce initiatives, public services, and public engagement. Coordinated program design, budgets, staff, and partnerships across public, nonprofit, and private sectors. Oversaw communications, including messaging, materials, and event coordination. Developed and implemented outreach initiatives in areas such as youth programs, mental health, senior services, and accessibility. Produced public-facing materials, managed multimedia content, and coordinated community events involving multiple stakeholders.                     

Availability: Open to Interviews            

Location/Commute: Resides in Dutchess County, NY

Professional with experience managing programs, events, and community outreach initiatives. Coordinates budgets, staff, and partnerships to implement public-facing projects. Develops and distributes communications and multimedia content, and supports engagement across public, nonprofit, and private sectors.

News for HR and Workforce Professionals

‘Can A Machine Do This?’ HR’s Focus Will Shift From The Workforce To The Work, Gartner Says

When it comes to workforce planning around artificial intelligence, many organizations are running before they can walk. That is one of the key messages from Harsh Kundulli, vice president analyst at Gartner Business and Technology Insights, and Katie Sutherland, director at Gartner. According to Gartner’s data, most companies have adopted some form of AI, and the majority of CEOs plan to increase investments. But the results haven’t always matched the optimism. “Only one in three AI initiatives boost productivity,” Kundulli said. “One in five delivers measurable ROI.”

For HR leaders, that disconnect translates to greater pressure. Kundulli said HR is being asked to cut costs, find scarce growth talent and still deliver value using a fast-evolving technology. That, Sutherland argued, means HR must rethink its role entirely. “In the AI era, HR has a new mandate: shift the focus from the workforce to the work,” she said. Historically, HR has focused on people: hiring, training, culture and leadership development. But as AI reshapes how work gets done, Gartner leaders say HR’s mandate must expand to redefining the work itself. Kundulli described three major shifts in how organizations are using AI:

Augmenting work: using AI to make existing workflows faster or more accurate.

Re-engineering work: redesigning processes entirely around AI.

Inventing work: creating new, AI-based ways of operating.

Most HR leaders, he said, expect to spend the bulk of their time in the next year on augmentation, followed by re-engineering and invention. “Your organization is going to be a portfolio of changes,” Kundulli noted. “Each comes with different costs, risks and returns.”

Read more at HR Executive

10 Ways CHROs Can Strengthen People Strategy In A Rapidly Changing Workplace

As organizations face rapid change, CHROs are uniquely positioned to ensure transformation centers on people, not just AI, tech tools or processes. From workforce planning to reskilling, HR leaders have multiple levers to guide employees through uncertainty while shaping long-term business outcomes. Brandon Roberts, group vice president of people product, analytics and AI at ServiceNow, emphasizes that transformation is fundamentally about people. “We believe this is not a technology shift. It’s a human shift,” he says.

“People talk about features and functionality” of new HR tech tools, says Roberts, “but not enough about whether the workforce has the skills to support transformation or how it will change the way we actually do work.” Here are 10 ways Roberts says CHROs can bridge this gap and lead the human side of change.

Read more at HR Executive

Employers 'Hungry For Ideas' To Hold Down Health Claims Without Cutting Coverage

Employers are worried about the rising cost of health coverage, and they are hungry for ideas about ways to hold claims down without eliminating benefits, according to J. Powell Brown, the chief executive officer of Brown & Brown. Brown & Brown, a big insurance and benefits advisor, is getting many questions about ideas for managing the costs of claims for high-cost claimants, coping with the high cost of very expensive "specialty" drugs, and improving "population health" efforts, such as efforts to address conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure, Brown said.

At some plans, Brown said, employers are trying to maintain the breadth of coverage by cutting out certain high-cost items, such as coverage of Wegovy and other GLP-1 agonists for weight loss. "People are trying to maintain quality coverage for their employees. That said, they can only bear a certain amount of increase. And so we are constantly and consistently talking with our customers and prospects about creative ways to deliver value to their employees but to help manage their cost."

Read more at Benefits Pro

Fostering Resilience And Well-Being During Workplace Transformation – The “5 Cs”

Transformation sounds like a good thing. Who doesn’t want positive change? But let’s be honest: Not everyone sees change that way. Transformation usually means something about the current state isn’t cutting it. And that can be uncomfortable. Transformation often calls for big shifts: new skills, new markets, new org charts. Sometimes it means letting go of a way of working, a whole division, or stepping into a new role (or out of one). So, yes, transformation aims to move things forward, but it’s not always welcomed with open arms, particularly by the very people you need to make it happen.

From the beginning of the solution design — long before implementation efforts begin — we should be asking the question: What role do our employees play in this change, and how can we support and care for them from the very beginning? In fact, we shouldn’t even wait until the need for change has been identified to start considering how to help them build resilience in preparation for the future. The five Cs of transformation — care, communication, connection, coping and customization — can help you and your people grow firmer roots and weather change more effectively.

Read more at Chief Learning Officer

Employee loyalty is surging. The Retention Index makes its third consecutive gain, rising to a record high of 105.8. This upward trend signals that U.S. workers will continue to job hug and remain in their jobs over the next six months. Most striking this period is a wave of strengthening employee sentiment across all four of the Retention Index’s indicators: Organizational Confidence, Culture, Compensation, and Job Market Opportunity.

The Organizational Confidence indicator posts a record high, gaining 3.2 points to 104.7.

Similarly, the Compensation indicator gains a record 6.5 points, reaching a historic high of 109.9.

The Culture indicator climbed 2.4 points to 103.1.

The Job Market Opportunity indicator rose 5.8 points to 101.

Millennial workers and women post significant Retention Index gains, 8.9 and 6.9 points respectively, and now sit at record highs, indicating each are more likely than ever to stay in their jobs over the next six months. They are also the only workforce demographics to experience increases across all four of the indicators. Conversely, the Retention Index declines among Gen X workers and men, down 4.7 and 0.8 points respectively, signaling they will be more inclined to leave in the months ahead. Millennials emerge as the workforce segment most likely to stay, while Gen X poses the largest attrition risk for employers.

Read more at Eagle Hill Consulting

Why Are American Women Leaving The Labour Force?

In 1948 just 32% of women were employed or seeking work, against 87% of their male peers. By the end of the 1990s, some 60% of women were in the workforce, alongside 75% of men. During the 2000s and 2010s, the gap continued to shrink, albeit because male employment was falling. Then the covid-19 pandemic pushed workers out—but women recovered faster, narrowing the gap between the sexes to just 10.1 percentage points by early 2025, the smallest on record.

Now something has changed. Although men’s participation is steady, women are leaving the workforce. From a post-covid high of 57.7% in August 2024, their participation rate has fallen by almost a full percentage point, to 56.9%—implying over 600,000 women have absconded. The decline is not due to industry-specific struggles, as sectors dominated by women have added workers, but may be linked to social shifts, including a mini baby boom. The impact of return-to-office mandates on women's workforce re-entry remains uncertain, though remote work previously facilitated higher participation rates for mothers.

Read more at The Economist (subscription)

Gen Z, Millennials Drive New Demands For Employer Health And Wellness Strategies

Employees—particularly younger ones—are making their health and wellbeing a priority, and they increasingly expect their employers to do the same. In a survey of 5,000 global employees, corporate wellness platform Wellhub found that workforces are moving away from “squeezing” healthy habits into their routines. Nearly two-thirds say they have become more “intentional” about their wellbeing in the past few years.

Yet, there are clear demographic differences, with younger workers “leading the way,” according to the research: Almost three-quarters of Gen Z employees report meaningful improvements to their wellbeing in the last five years, along with 68% of millennials; just 59% and 55% of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers, respectively, agree. Regardless of age group, a majority of employees surveyed by Wellhub noted the importance of community and social support to sticking to their wellness routine—and 83% said they’d gravitate toward a wellness initiative with a team or community component.

Read more at Benefits Pro

Mass Layoffs Signal Shift In Job Market Dynamics

For most of 2025, the job market was described by economists as "no hire, no fire" — a stretch of time when job seekers faced slim prospects, but workers could count on job security. But that fragile balance may now be shifting, labor experts warn, as mass layoffs at companies like Amazon and UPS signal a possible turning point for the labor market. "No question that this is a shift, and it does seem to me it signals that 'no hire, no fire' is a thing of the past," John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, told CBS News.

Official federal reports on the state of the labor market have been suspended due to the government shutdown, but job growth has slowed sharply in recent months, with average monthly payroll gains of roughly 27,000 between May and August — down from average gains of nearly 123,000 per month between January and April, labor data shows. Americans are also growing more pessimistic about the job market, according to recent CBS News polling. About 52% of Americans describe the labor market as "bad," up seven percentage points from April, the poll found. "We are moving more into a time where job security might be more precarious," Challenger said.

Read more at CBS News

iCIMS October Labor Market Insights – Overall Job Openings Rose In September But Hires Continued To Drop

Employers are opening roles, but many are slow to convert. This is consistent with public signals that seasonal hiring plans are muted this year, according to the September retail hiring outlook from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Supply and demand: Applications are up 19% year over year while hires hold flat, indicating that supply is there but conversion is the restraint.

Some Key Findings from the report:

·      Interest is waning as unemployment for younger applicants rises - Unemployment for job seekers aged 16–24 hit 10.5% in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics compared to the overall national rate of 4.3%.

·      As competition for entry-level roles remains high and unemployment rises, younger candidate interest has eased in the last 12 months.

·      Job openings in retail climbed 15% and hires 7% year over year in September, signaling that retailers are on the hunt for talent as they gear up for peak holiday demand.

·      The retail application pool is shifting away from teens and early 20s workers. - Applicants aged 18–24 made up a smaller share of the September pool than they did a year earlier, dropping from 43% to 37%.

·      Transportation hiring is revving up, with job openings and hires hitting a 13-month high in September with job openings are up 19% and hires are up 7% year over year in September as employers prepare for holiday demand.

·      Like retail, older candidates are fueling the transportation applicant pool, with the youngest age band shrinking from 46% to 37% year over year.

Read the Report

Learn more about the Council of Industry’s Manufacturing Career Hub Driven By iCIMS

Check out the MIAP Apprentice Program

3 Top HR Priorities For 2026, According To Gartner’s Latest Survey – HR Executive

Palantir Thinks College Might Be a Waste. So It’s Hiring High-School Grads. – WSJ

Average Family Health Premium Hits $26,993 – Benefits Pro

As Burnout Reaches A New High, Will It Drive 4-Day Workweek Momentum? – HR Executive

The Power of Gratitude: How Recognition Boosts Retention and Culture – Dig Different

Legal Battles Emerge Over State Interventions in Labor Relations – Material Handling & Logistics

DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization Documents – Harris Beach Murtha

DEI Shifts Leave Companies With Legal Uncertainties – The Washington Post

Season 5 Episode 5: Jim Ferraro, Elna Magnetics

We’re excited to feature Jim Ferraro, Vice President of Elna Magnetics, on this episode of the Council of Industry Podcast. Jim shares the fascinating story of Elna, a Hudson Valley-based manufacturer and distributor of ferrite components, and highlights the company’s evolution from a small prototype shop in Woodstock to a global distributor with deep roots in the electronics industry.

During our conversation, Jim dives into Elna’s manufacturing capabilities, the industries they serve—including semiconductors, alternative energy, and military applications—and the highly skilled workforce that makes it all possible. He also shares his personal journey in the family business, the company’s long-term succession plans, and the value of building a diverse team of machinists, engineers, and office professionals.

Beyond manufacturing, Jim is a passionate advocate for workforce development and education partnerships. He discusses Elna’s engagement with Ulster BOCES and the Hudson Valley Pathways Academy, highlighting how connecting students with real-world career opportunities helps break the stigma around vocational education and supports the next generation of manufacturing talent.

Key topics include:

🔹 Elna Magnetics’ history, growth, and global impact

🔹 The role of ferrite in electronics, semiconductors, and alternative energy

🔹 Manufacturing careers, from technical to professional roles

🔹 Workforce development and student engagement programs

🔹Promoting vocational education and real-world career paths

🔹 Succession planning and leadership in a family-owned business

If you’re part of a Council of Industry member company and not yet subscribed, email us. If you’re not a Council member, become one today