Initiative aims to connect outgoing Fort Drum soldiers with North Country jobs

$10M plan aims to keep 3,500+ veterans in the region to combat labor shortage

By Tim Rowland

Each year 3,500 soldiers walk off the Fort Drum Army base in Watertown and into the private sector.

Most scatter to the four winds. But a new, $10 million state initiative will try to tether them to the North Country to help address a critical labor shortage that has touched most every corner of the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

“The North Country’s economy is growing and is projected to see tremendous job growth over the next decade, generating the need for tens of thousands of new workers to meet the needs of employers,” states a proposed employee recruitment  initiative by the North Country Regional Economic Development Council.

But while job openings are on the rise, the number of available workers is headed in the other direction, as the population ages into retirement and young people seek their fortune elsewhere. 

Soldiers and their spouses — representing a potential labor pool of 46,000 over the coming decade — could be a powerful economic engine, according to the commission’s initiative, named Next Move NY. The plan has been submitted to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration for support.

A diverse set of skills

Jim McKenna, co-chair of the council, said soldiers leave Fort Drum with “a wide variety of skill sets” that would be welcome in the North Country, where surveys show just about every employer is struggling to find help.

“We reached out (to employers) to make sure there was interest, and the answer was ‘yes,’” he said.

Next Move NY would create a network of “matchmakers” through seven northern counties, including some in the Adirondacks, that would introduce former soldiers to prospective employers. McKenna said the commission is also working with the state to iron out other nettlesome impediments to employment, including housing and child care.

Lt. Col. Marc Cleveland, 42, is a member of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum who will be staying in the North Country following his retirement next year, and transitioning into a nonprofit. 

Cleveland started his career at Fort Drum and liked it well enough to return as retirement approached. “You’d be amazed at the number of people who come back to Fort Drum,” he said.

RELATED READING: Adirondack job outlook: Opportunities surge in health and hospitality—challenges remain amid worker shortages

Two age groups would typically be looking to enter the workforce: Those who are in their early 20s completing their first and only tour, and those in their 40s who are retiring from a career in the service. Both groups have much to offer regional employers. “They’ve shown their ability to succeed,” Cleveland said. “They’re going to have a set of values that employers appreciate.”

Fort Drum already has a comprehensive program helping soldiers transition into civilian life, and Cleveland said Next Move NY would be a strong complement to the Army’s efforts to set transitioning soldiers up for success.

“We know it’s not going to be easy, but we hope to get 40 to 50%” of the soldiers to remain in the North Country,” McKenna said. Next Move NY would not recruit current soldiers, but would contact those who have made the decision to leave.

Filling workforce gaps

According to the commission, the North Country faces a 48,000 workforce gap over the next decade, based on the need for 30,500 new employees in a growing economy and 17,500 retirements.

If Next Move NY is successful it could turn a $10 million investment into a $2.3 billion impact to North Country productivity.

Many of the soldiers’ skills dovetail with North Country needs, the report states, including law enforcement, bookkeeping, mechanics and the trades. Most, however, have only a high school education, so the initiative calls for added training and also would fast-track them toward degrees by converting their experience and training in the Army into college credit.

“The potential is immense,” the report states. “Today, only a fraction of those transitioning soldiers are retained in the North Country. With New York’s investment, this unique opportunity will help us substantially address the region’s workforce needs, help grow and diversify our region  and provide an extensive impact to the vitality of the region’s and New York’s economy.”

The idea for the Next Move NY was hatched when Hochul called the 10 state regional economic development councils together and dangled a $10 million appropriation for the three best ideas for economic growth — emphasizing a list of factors including workforce development, blight, green energy, housing and diversity, among others.

North Country was one of three winning EDCs.

Photo at top: A team of officers from the 10th Mountain Division Sustainment brigade complete the “Pull the Heavy Load” lane as part of the Muleskinner Avalanche challenge on old post Fort Drum February 16, 2017. After answering questions about brigade and division history, the team was required to load a Humvee with supplies and manually move the vehicle through the snow. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Liane Schmersahl)