Successful regional economic development relies on creating a qualified workforce
As companies grow and create new jobs, they’ll need a skilled workforce with specific training to fill these roles. Our workforce development team is part of a Western New York workforce ecosystem that connects industry, cross-sector partners, UB resources and foundation support to bolster innovation pilots and real job placements that align with industry demand. Together, we're creating a thriving community where everyone benefits from shared economic prosperity.
Workforce and Industry Support Services
Training and Certification
We partner with and develop training programs to impart valuable skills that are in high demand and transferable across industries including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), clean room standards, high-tech simulation, high-voltage battery safety and more.
Student Mentoring and Internships
Our programs prioritize high school and college student workforce development to provide pathways to high-paying careers that incentivize young people to stay here in Western New York. Companies benefit from fresh thinking through UB’s experiential learning opportunities, internships and student talent programs.
Industry-Academic Partnership
As a key team within UB Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships, we connect industry partners with UB expertise and research in AI, engineering, education, science and technology to optimize learning and training opportunities within local companies.
Focus Areas
Articial intelligence (AI)
Energy
Biotech
Advanced manufacturing
Semiconductors
EcoCAR Innovation Challenge
The EcoCAR Innovation Challenge provides companies with a unique opportunity to collaborate with University at Buffalo faculty and students on next-generation vehicle technologies. Through industry-sponsored projects, applied research and workforce development, partners gain access to emerging talent, university expertise and innovative solutions that support the future of advanced mobility, electrification and AI-enabled transportation systems.
Industry Ready NY
Industry Ready connects employers with a growing pipeline of workforce-ready talent through partnerships that align education and training with industry needs. By collaborating with the University at Buffalo, BOCES and regional employers, companies can help shape curriculum, provide hands-on learning opportunities and build the skilled workforce needed to support innovation and economic growth across New York State.
Cisco Networking Academy
To prepare learners for sought-after job roles in advanced manufacturing, we’ve partnered with Cisco to offer Networking Academy, a job roles curriculum aligned with real-world certifications that evolves as new technology emerges. It includes professional development opportunities, interactive experiences, real-world practice, plus support for individual career trajectories with custom resources and job matching services.
Data-driven job placement
UB BEP has partnered with Julius to develop a skills- and data-centered approach to workforce design in the battery and energy storage industry. By moving away from job titles and toward mapping skills through AI, this interactive tool can help job seekers find positions that match their skills, help regional training programs better align with skill needs across industries, and give industry employers insights into wages, career paths and demand. This data-first approach also provides valuable insights by tracking training completion, job placement and career advancement.
AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance
Through an exclusive partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), UB students and faculty have access to an elite prototyping sandbox that allows them to access tools, workshops and events that provide insights and hands-on experience in tech career paths including software development, generative AI and cybersecurity. New opportunities are released weekly to challenge participants’ critical thinking, build skills and prepare students to enter this growing workforce.
We're open to new opportunities to enhance job readiness across the region
Employers
Host an intern on join a challenge
Faculty
Collaborate on curriculum and funding
Additional resources for discovery and growth
Leverage UB’s talented pool of over 30,000 students to solve your business challenges.
Partners who work with us save money, accelerate R&D, bring new products and services to market, create jobs and build talented teams. Together, we are translating innovation to impact.
See how the partnerships we’ve built between UB resources and the Western New York business community have led to company growth, product breakthroughs and more.