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After more than a year of work, the New York State Cannabis Workforce Initiative has launched a job board to help employers in the state's legal cannabis industry retain talent and support job seekers.
CWI launched a beta version of its job board, CannaJobsLink, in mid-July and will continue to optimize it over the coming months, said CWI project manager David Serrano. However, CannaJobsLink is already up and running and is gathering excitement among employers in the marijuana industry, he said.
“We're 10-10. Every employer we introduce to our system enrolls in our program,” Serrano said. “It’s really great to see there are jobs on the market and employers so excited to hire their workforce.”
CWI is a joint venture between the state-funded nonprofit Workforce Development Institute and Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. The organization has trained hundreds of people in the basics of the cannabis industry since 2022, including through two-day Seeds to Success state-wide traveling live workshops.
Serrano said CWI's job board aggregates New York state cannabis industry job postings from sites like KayaPush and Indeed. Currently, there are about 80 job listings on the site, but Serrano expects there will be 300 to 400 active job listings at any given time once the CannaJobsLink site is fully launched. Masu.
The key thing about CannaJobsLink is that it's free and doesn't require users to create an account, Serrano said. The lack of gatekeeping allows the message board to be used as a tool by anyone interested in cannabis-related jobs in New York, he said.
“We are trying to be as efficient as possible,” Serrano said, adding that job offers from the board have already been sent to students in the database and those enrolled in CWI's programs.
In addition, CWI is working with employers on job postings, Serrano said.
“This is not just about sharing job opportunities, which is important, but also about making sure employers feel supported through the process, making sure they have resources on how to hire. There is,” Serrano said.
CWI uses a two-pronged approach to cannabis education, leveraging the expertise of Cornell University and the Workforce Development Institute. WDI creates training focused on industry education, and Cornell University provides information on worker rights and employer legal responsibilities.
Since the initiative began in late 2021, its work has been funded by a $3.025 million appropriation to Cornell University from the New York State Legislature, as well as $3 million in last year's appropriation.
“Our employer partnership is also a training partnership,” Serrano said. “In addition to helping you find workers, we also provide training and resources to help you not only hire workers effectively and legally, but also to be a good employer for the longevity of your business.” I am.”
Disclosure: The Cannabis Workforce Initiative is a sponsor of the NY Cannabis Insider event.
