Rochester Manufacturers Expand Student Apprentice Pipeline
Local employers are hosting career fairs to recruit students into multi-year technical apprenticeship programs.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Job Fairs
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More than 1,700 students and 75 employers met at the Rochester Community Sports Complex on Oct. 6, 2026, for the fifth annual ROC With Your Hands event. This career exploration fair connects local students in grades 7 through 12 with training and apprenticeship opportunities in skilled trades and advanced manufacturing.
Why it matters
Local businesses are increasingly focused on building long-term workforce pipelines by directly engaging with students before graduation. This early-stage recruitment strategy helps firms address skills gaps in technical fields through hands-on education and structured apprenticeship pathways.
The event hosted 75 employers and 1,700 attendees from 55 schools, building on the broader Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program which has connected 1,200 students with 125 local firms. The effort highlights pathways such as four-year electro-mechanical and two-year robotics technician programs.
The players
Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association
An industry group representing local manufacturers that facilitates regional workforce development initiatives.
Bausch + Lomb
A global eye health company that operates technical apprenticeship programs to train specialized workers in the Rochester region.
The details
At the event, employers provided demonstrations and discussed career benefits to move beyond traditional recruitment. Companies like Bausch + Lomb showcased specific training routes, including their four-year electro-mechanical technician apprenticeship and two-year robotics technician program. The format aims to familiarize students with workplace environments, wages, and advancement opportunities while they are still in school.
Timeline
The Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association first created the event in 2022.
The fifth annual career exploration event took place on Oct. 6, 2026.
Market Landscape
This career fair acts as a primary intake channel for the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program. It follows a growing industry trend of formalizing local workforce pipelines to compete for technical talent before candidates enter the broader labor market.
Operators in skilled trades should evaluate if their current recruitment process can benefit from similar early-stage school engagement to secure future talent. Businesses should track apprenticeship enrollment as a leading indicator of workforce stability and long-term hiring costs.
The takeaway
Direct engagement with secondary students remains a critical strategy for mitigating long-term manufacturing labor shortages. Business owners should review the structure of the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program as a model for creating sustainable, proprietary workforce pipelines.
Further reading
Learn more about local efforts to connect students with industry opportunities on our Job Fairs page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rochester Business Journal.
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Do you believe trade apprenticeships offer a viable alternative to a traditional four-year college degree?
