BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The New York State Department of Transportation held a hiring event for the Kensington Expressway Project on Thursday night.
25-year-old Ephraim Bostic says he’s excited for the opportunity to take part in the project.
“I’m just really here to look for opportunities for myself to see where this is being reinvested into the community and I’m here to take advantage of that,” he says.
The Community Action Organization hosted the event that was all about recruiting Buffalo residents for the upcoming $1 billion project.
“We have to make sure we’re doing our part making sure that our children and our families are taking this employment opportunity so this pre-registration gives you an advantage,” says Samuel L. Radford, director of Rafi Greene Masten Resource Center. “That project won’t start until October, so you’ll get trained and prepared so when the project starts you can go right to work.”
Some say this opportunity is important
“This is very important for the East Side Of Buffalo, the inner city, and for the youth for their future. It’s billions of dollars,” says Frankie Johnson, a resident. “Can take a lot of youth off the street, they’re getting paid high education money to do construction jobs. It’ll be wonderful for the future.”
You'll need to meet the following requirements to apply:
- Must be a Buffalo resident
- Have a state-issued driver's license or non-driver ID
- High school diploma or GED
- Income documentation
There will be several job positions to apply for.
“Jobs from construction, rebar training, to blueprinting so all the jobs associated with working on this construction project,” Radford says. “They’re going to take you to a six-week training and at the end you’ll be able to get certified for this project.”
It’s not clear just yet how much each job will pay, but that’s not cooling their excitement.
“This is a lifetime opportunity and everybody that you know should know about this. This is a billion dollars. This is life-changing,” Johnson says.
Construction is expected to start in October of this year.
Click here to apply.
