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Suffolk Workforce Development Center outlines expanded services, employer partnerships
Summary
Suffolk officials heard a report on the Workforce Development Center’s expanded programming, partnerships and outcomes — the center said it now serves about 2,000 residents monthly and partners with employers for credentialing and hiring events.
Susan Stubenrock, director of the Suffolk Workforce Development Center, told City Council on Oct. 1 that the center has broadened services and partnerships to better connect residents to jobs and training.
Stubenrock said the center opened in 2006 and now averages nearly 2,000 clients per month (more than 21,000 annually). Core initiatives include career development, employer-facing hiring and recruitment services, credentialing and testing (CPR, first aid, AED, OSHA 10 and OSHA 30, WorkKeys, Food Handler), veteran supports, youth services and wraparound resources such as bus passes and educational funding.
In 2024 the center added virtual hiring events, expanded customized employer training, and launched health-and-wellness sessions. Stubenrock highlighted partnerships with Amazon (a launch-and-learn event), Day & Zimmerman (a training-to-hire cohort that led to 31 hires for a nuclear power site), and institutional partnerships to proctor real-estate and technical exams. She said the center provided access for more than 400 students to obtain a PCA credential in 2024 and hosted hundreds of hiring and outreach events.
Councilmembers praised the center’s holistic approach and regional coordination. Councilmember Richter, a member of the Regional Workforce Development Council, offered to help connect the center with regional resources. The presentation closed with announcements about upcoming events, including a veterans and service-member event on Nov. 13 and a new professional-development series on mental-health crisis response.
Councilmembers said the center is a critical bridge between residents seeking work and employers recruiting for local industry.
