Ben Cruz gives a presentation about Next Move NY, a program aimed at helping Fort Drum soldiers transition to North Country jobs, at an APA board meeting Thursday. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)

LAKE PLACID — The North Country Regional Economic Development Council is on track to launch a workforce development program aimed at keeping former Fort Drum soldiers and spouses living and working in the area.

Ben Cruz, a former serviceman and program administrator for Next Move NY, presented the program at the Adirondack Park Agency board meeting on Thursday, and urged interested business leaders to get in touch.

Fort Drum is the largest single-site employer in the state, Cruz said in his presentation. Each year, an approximate 4,600 workers leave Fort Drum — including service members and spouses, according to the REDC. When members leave the Army, it’s completely up to them where they decide to go.

“That creates an amazing opportunity for us, because nobody is tapping into this workforce,” Cruz said.

At the same time, the gap in the workforce in the North Country — which the state defines as Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties — is projected to increase. The REDC estimates that there will be over 30,000 new jobs in this region in 10 years, while the workforce is expected to shrink by more than 17,000 people.

The North Country could be short about 48,000 workers by then.

Many of the jobs that veterans are most interested in are also jobs that the North Country needs to fill, Cruz said. Some top areas include maintenance, government, business, medicine and technology.

Art Lussi, APA board member and president of Crowne Plaza in Lake Placid, immediately voiced his enthusiasm for the opportunity presented by this program.

“Speaking for the Tri-Lakes region, area businesses are crying for you,” Lussi said. “Whether it’s electricians, plumbers or chefs.”

This program is funded by a $10 million grant awarded to the NCREDC in 2023 as part of Round XIII of the Regional Economic Development Council Challenge Competition. Dozens of employers have already endorsed the program, including Adirondack Health, the Trudeau Institute and North Country Community College.

The goal for the NCREDC is to assemble a team and resources that can be a “one-stop shop” for veterans who are interested in opportunities in the North Country, Cruz said. So far, the parts of the initiative that are funded include a job matching portal that will help veterans identify opportunities that best fit their skills. They also have plans for a career readiness and job apprenticeship matching program, a veteran employment ambassador program and a soldier recruitment and training incentive program for employers.

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Easing the transition

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After 20 years in the Army, Cruz promised his daughter that she could pick their final home. She chose to come back to the North Country. He’s hoping other Army veterans choose this path too.

“I had faith that the North Country was going to take care of me,” Cruz said during his presentation.

However, Cruz also knows the importance of community when it comes to transitioning out of the military. In addition to matching veterans with available opportunities, the goal is also to expose them to the communities around the North Country, which he said have been welcoming. Service members don’t always know many people outside of the “bubble” of their military lives, so a big part of the transition is helping them make connections.

“It takes a village to help a service member transition from the military into the community,” Cruz said.

Lussi said Monday that he was excited to hear Cruz’s presentation and plans to reach out to partner with Next Move NY. Although the workforce has moved beyond the crisis of the pandemic — when the industry was unable to hire J1 visa workers — Lussi wants to move toward being less dependent on short-term, seasonal workers.

“We’ve had incredible success employing retired people, whether it’s from the Marines or Army,” Lussi said. “I’ve found that veterans of the military are excellent leaders and department heads, and that they’re quite skilled, especially in things where we really need help right now.”

The NCREDC is planning on launching its website at the beginning of April, with the other programs starting shortly afterwards, according to Michelle Capone, director of regional development at the Development Authority of the North Country.

For now, Cruz is eagerly seeking business leaders and community members who are interested in this program. He wants to get a broader sense of the needs in each community and how the workforce coming out of Fort Drum can help meet them. To connect with Cruz, fill out a short form at tinyurl.com/ymmjrfzr or email him at bcruz@danc.org.