Where will the jobs be on Long Island in the future? Find out how to navigate such fast-growing industries as health care, "green collar," and technology.  

Classifieds

Jobs

Jobs Crossroads

Industries of the future on <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> may be exotic ones like green energy or medical research, but the dominant jobs may be more mundane: professional and business support services. 
That includes accountants, attorneys, architects, publicists, temporary office workers, computer services employees and others who help businesses run. Experts expect these jobs to become more prevalent both here and nationally, especially as many smaller companies replace fewer larger ones. 
By 2035, these careers will represent the largest segment of <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a>'s workforce, experts predict. 
"Companies used to have everything in-house," said Jason Aptekar, chief executive of <a href="/topics/Westbury%2C_NY">Westbury</a>-based Mithril Technology, which provides computer and information technology services to other companies. "I can hire people who might have otherwise been internal assets to a company. There's always a need [at most companies] for an [information technology] architect, but maybe not a full-time one."&nbsp; 
Rise in outsourcing Like Mithril with computing services, law firms and even payroll services companies are performing outsourced functions that companies once did themselves. Instead of having accountants and bookkeepers on a payroll, for example, many companies hire an accounting firm that also gives them financial advice, Aptekar said. 
"It's basically a continuing trend," said <a href="/topics/Michael_White">Michael White</a>, executive director of the <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> Regional Planning Commission. "It's a national trend." 
It's a particularly strong trend here. "I'm in the payroll and human resources business, and there are at least 10 competitors," said Rob Basso, chief executive of Advantage Payroll in <a href="/topics/Freeport%2C_NY">Freeport</a>. "We've got thousands of clients and we pay 60,000 to 90,000 people through our system." 
The reason is that small, high-tech companies need these kinds of services, said Gary Huth, the state <a href="/topics/Labor_Department">Labor Department</a>'s principal economist on <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a>. Other small businesses also fuel the growth in this area - many need office managers, accountants, technical support, consulting services and legal help. 
&nbsp;Effects going forward It's also an unmistakable trend in the council's <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> 2035 study, which attempts to anticipate how the region will evolve by that year. 
"The largest employment growth is expected to occur in the professional and business services industry, with nearly 100,000 new jobs expected between 2010 and 2035," the study says. 
Twenty years ago, the sector was fifth largest, with 114,200 jobs accounting for just above 10 percent of the Island's workforce. Now there are 181,700 in the field, 13.8 percent of the workforce, with a forecast for 278,900 by 2035. 
That would make professional and business services the Island's dominant source of employment, with 18.3 percent of the workforce, according to the study. It's the third largest now, behind education and health services and government. 
Firms are capitalizing on that growth, Huth said. 
And Irwin Kellner, chief economist of MarketWatch, said the growing health care industry necessarily will need to employ many nonmedical workers, including clerks, accountants, receptionists and others. 
And as new businesses take root, they'll be that much more vital, Huth said. "It's a significant enabler of growth in many other areas," he said. 
In fact, Mithril uses professional services even as it provides them. Aptekar said his company isn't big enough for a full-time chief financial officer, so he shares one with other companies.

BZBIZ10

LI's dominant future jobs will be business support

Help wanted: experienced veterinary technician, with accredited two- or four-year degree and state-issued license. Lifelong passion for pets a plus! 
Personal trainer, fitness enthusiast, good communication skills. Adaptable and a people person. Must be certified by a recognized institution. 
Home health aides: no skills necessary, will train for free. Only the compassionate need apply. 
The economy may be contracting, but in some fields, opportunities still abound. The jobs that will be in demand the most on <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> in the next five to six years fall largely within the personal and professional services, and health care and technology sectors, according to a Newsday analysis of projections by the state Department of Labor, and interviews with business and educational leaders in those fields. Most, but not all, require at least a two-year college degree and some kind of licensing or certification. 
The salaries may not qualify you for a million-dollar mortgage, but the work can be steady, flexible, varied and rewarding. 
"There's nothing more satisfying than being able to help your client, and exercise and health is typically something a trainer is passionate about," said Sharon Moelis, director of fitness and programming at South Shore Fitness in <a href="/topics/Oceanside%2C_NY">Oceanside</a>. "Second of all, it's usually very easy to make your own schedule." 
In the 1980s, a personal trainer was usually just "the biggest, buffest guy in the gym," Moelis said. Now, trainers (fitness trainer and aerobics instructor median income on <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a>, according to the state <a href="/topics/Labor_Department">Labor Department</a>: $52,170) need to be certified by a recognized program, and many specialize in post-rehab training for clients graduating from physical therapy. 
Social work (median income: $56,030) is another job with great personal rewards and opportunities. But there is a downside: The pay can be low for entry-level and nonprofit positions. 
"The reward is intrinsic, if you like doing the work and believing in what you do," said Jamie Bogenshutz, executive director of YES Community Counseling Center in <a href="/topics/Massapequa%2C_NY">Massapequa</a>. "That works for some but it doesn't work for everybody. You still have to put a meal on the table." 
Organizations like hers, which rely on government grants and private donations, have trouble retaining good social workers because of salaries that hover around $40,000 a year, Bogenshutz said. Institutions such as hospitals and schools pay more. 
Social workers who do counseling generally need master's degrees, though substance abuse counselors - another fast-growing occupation (median income: $43,420) - need only a high school diploma or GED and state certification. 
"If you're creative, you can take this background almost anywhere," said Ilene Nathanson, director of the social work program at the <a href="/topics/C._W._Post">C.W. Post</a> Campus of <a href="/topics/Long_Island_University">Long Island University</a>. 
Hate working with people? Sorry. Even computer work requires interpersonal and communication skills these days. 
"If you ask around with managers or HR people, they'll tell you that one of their big laments is that students coming out today have no people skills," said Chris Malinowski, the graduate program director of <a href="/topics/C._W._Post">C.W. Post</a>'s computer science and management engineering department, and a former commanding officer of computer investigations for the NYPD. 
Network analysts (median income: $75,030) have lots of opportunities, Malinowski said, because computer networks are proliferating and require constant maintenance. Analysts need critical thinking as well as technical skills, as they monitor systems for bugs or infiltrators. 
"It's a thinking person's game," Malinowski said. "It's like playing with electronic Legos in a sense. You get a chance to play with electronic toys to construct a real business environment for people to rely on." 
Neither can accountants ($74,710) wallow in columns of numbers; a good accountant must be articulate and personable, said Mark Meinberg, <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> County chapter president of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Accountants don't necessarily need to have passed the certified public accounting exam, and CPAs don't necessarily need a master's, though all require a set amount of college credit. 
The profession, which can take a backseat to high finance when times are flush, is now seeing a slight glut of young accountants, Meinberg said. The good news, he said, is that the economic meltdown created an emphasis on oversight and compliance, which bodes well for the field in the long run. 
If you really, really, really want to avoid working with people, don't despair: There's an ongoing need for qualified veterinary technicians ($37,300), who must graduate from an accredited two- or four-year program and pass a licensing exam. 
"Ten or 15 years ago there were no specialty hospitals of this caliber. It was not commonplace to seek out a neurologist or oncologist; you would just go to a general practitioner and they would tell you your pet has cancer and you would just make them comfortable," said Gregory Carastro, a licensed vet technician and the hospital administrator of the Veterinary Medical Center of <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a>, in <a href="/topics/West_Islip%2C_NY">West Islip</a>. "Now, there are so many things you can do for your animal; it's just a much bigger field. There's much more need for competent, qualified vet technicians." 
Carastro said his hospital is constantly advertising for technicians, whose duties and skills include basic anesthesiology, dentistry, medication administration and radiology. 
Health-care professions dominate the list of occupations with opportunity. Radiologic technologists ($67,210), who operate an ever-expanding spectrum of imaging equipment, have no trouble finding work. <a href="/topics/James_Joyce">James Joyce</a>, director of <a href="/topics/C._W._Post">C.W. Post</a>'s radiologic technology program, said his two-year program, which enrolls 25 students a year, saw a 31 percent increase in applicants from 2007 to 2009. 
School can be expensive, but home health aides ($23,220) are in such demand that most agencies will provide free training. Many also pay sign-up bonuses, referral bonuses and provide immediate job placement, said Taryn Birkmire, executive director of Recco Home Care Service in <a href="/topics/Massapequa%2C_NY">Massapequa</a> and president of the <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> chapter of Home Health Care Providers. 
The aging of baby boomers, combined with a grueling economy that allows little leeway to stay at home caring for a sick or elderly relative, has fueled a relentless growth in her field, Birkmire said. 
"We've been one of the few industries that have been able to provide employment," she said. In fact, the decline in other available jobs has made it easier for agencies to find staff. 
Home health aides require 80 hours of classroom training and eight hours of clinical training in courses approved by the state Health Department, Birkmire said. The jobs offer flexibility, she said, and personal satisfaction. 
"We look for somebody that has compassion," she said. "You can't force this on anybody. You have to kind of feel it within your heart."

BZMAIN10

Even in a bad economy, some jobs abound

The graying of Long Island, and the addition of new federal health care regulations, will mean more jobs in the medical sector, economists and health care officials say. 
Health care is already a major job producer on the Island. It grew by 25 percent from 2000 to mid-2009, accounting last year for 13 percent of Long Island employment and $8 billion in wages, according to the Long Island Association. It was Long Island's only private sector industry to generate jobs during the recession - adding 6,709 between 2007 and mid-2009. The entire educational and health services sector is expected to grow to 17.1 percent of the Island's job market by 2035. That would make it the second-largest employer after business and professional services. 
More primary-care doctors 
Industry leaders say they'll need more primary-care providers - physicians such as internists, as well as nurse practitioners and physician assistants - a major shift anticipated under the health reform legislation. Also expected to be in demand: physical or occupational therapists; medical and lab technicians, and - while not counted as health workers - information-tech workers to keep up with increasing demand for computerized medical records. 
"I think the two drivers are going to be the health care reform changes in the marketplace and delivery systems, and the other is the aging population on Long Island," said Dr. Steven Walerstein, executive vice president for medical affairs at <a href="/topics/Nassau_University_Medical_Center">Nassau University Medical Center</a>, the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, four family health centers and a school-based clinic. 
Over the next 15 years, the country faces a shortage of more than 125,000 doctors in general, partly fueled by the anticipated retirement of a third of practicing physicians, the Long Island Association report said. At least 16,000 more primary-care physicians are needed today, according to the <a href="/topics/Department_of_Health">Department of Health</a> and Human Services. 
"I think the demand for primary-care services is going to explode, and if you . . . have any training in that area, you are going to be in demand," said Arthur A. Gianelli, president and chief executive of the <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> Health Care Corp. 
That means that nurse practitioners and physician assistants more and more will fill the role of primary-care providers in the future, said Kevin Dahill, who heads the <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> <a href="/topics/Suffolk_County%2C_NY">Suffolk</a> Hospital Council. 
Positions like physical or occupational therapist also will grow in demand, as health care systems focus on providing care outside of the hospital and helping an aging population to live independently rather than in a long-term-care facility, experts said. Also, as more people become insured and live longer, demand will rise for jobs such as medical and lab technologists who assist in diagnosing diseases. About 26 percent of the Island's population is 55 or older now; that's expected to rise to 28 percent by 2030. 
One challenge to producing more primary-care physicians is the high cost of a medical education and the lure of much higher pay as a specialist, health care experts said. Medical students now graduate with upward of $150,000 in loans. In addition, Long Island's high cost of living also makes it difficult for local health institutions to draw primary-care physicians. 
"Making internal medicine and primary care an attractive career choice for the medical school graduate" is a key goal for Dr. Kenneth Kaushansky, the new dean of <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook_University">Stony Brook University</a>'s medical school. "Is there a way to make medical school more affordable? Are there payback systems we can begin to explore?" 
Meanwhile, nursing homes face two problems. New federal health care legislation is expected to continue the push to keep people out of hospitals and nursing homes - which are more expensive - and living on their own. At the same time, state cuts have home health care agencies and nursing homes worrying about how they will stay afloat. 
"I don't think nursing homes are going to grow," said Larry Slatky, administrator for the Patterson Extended Care Facility in <a href="/topics/Uniondale%2C_NY">Uniondale</a>. 
"I don't see more jobs; I see more specialization," he said. 
Health care and education 
Economists count health jobs in the same category as educational service positions. While health care jobs make up a larger portion of the growth in this category and are expected to continue to do so, education jobs, particularly at Long Island's colleges and universities, are also expected to contribute growth to the sector. And beyond employing professors, these institutions generate research and technology jobs for Long Island's economy. 
Meanwhile, completely outside the sector, the move to electronic medical records - spurred by federal stimulus money - has generated business and jobs for the information technology industry. Those workers will be needed to set up these systems, train medical staff and maintain and upgrade the systems. 
"Not only technology folks, but statisticians to analyze the data will be in demand," said Steven Strongwater, chief executive of <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook_University">Stony Brook University</a> Medical Center.

BZHEALTH10

As Long Island ages, medical sector jobs increase

Fierce competition and technological shifts in the shopping experience mean that Long Island's retail workers will take on a more proactive selling role, focused on creating and maintaining customer relationships, analysts said. 
Long Island's retail sector has continued to show job growth through a shaky economic recovery and it is expected to generate 7,200 jobs between 2006 and 2016, according to the state <a href="/topics/Labor_Department">Labor Department</a>. But its share of the job market is expected to fall to 10.5 percent in 2035, from 13 percent today, the Long Island Regional Planning Council says. 
Part-time, low-paying sales positions make up a large portion of the retail job market, often providing households with much-needed supplemental income and discretionary money to fuel the local economy, economists and retail analysts said. And entry-level sales jobs can lead to higher-paid managerial jobs. 
Service will be key 
The jobs being added now and in the future are mostly sales associates, for which service will be critical, said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group, a <a href="/topics/Port_Washington%2C_NY">Port Washington</a> market research firm. 
Retail experts say an emphasis on customer service is one of the main ways small retail stores can compete with big-box stores and their online operations. 
"The websites are getting so sophisticated these days that people actually dispense with going into the stores," said Adrian Miller, president of Adrian Miller Sales Training in <a href="/topics/Port_Washington%2C_NY">Port Washington</a>. "They think, 'If the human element isn't a value added, then I don't need the human element.' But there is a place for people within the retail world to be salespeople, and not to be reactive order takers, to almost see themselves as retail consultants so they can help facilitate buying decisions." 
Simply instructing workers to answer customers' questions, work the cash register and watch for shoplifters isn't enough anymore, Miller said. 
"When someone says, 'Can I help you,' most people answer, 'I am just looking,' " Miller explained. "They don't think the clerk is knowledgeable, so of course they say they're just looking. [The clerk] doesn't say, 'Over there are the items on sale, the bestsellers are straight ahead.' Most people like to buy. We can help them to buy." 
The <a href="/topics/Economic_Recession">recession</a> fundamentally altered Long Island's shopping behavior. Consumers with less credit and discretionary income now research and ponder potential purchases. New cell phone applications and comparison-shopping websites have emerged. That translates into a more competitive environment, where retailers will try to keep costs low by limiting jobs and looking for more productivity from their workers. 
&nbsp; 
Eye on specialty retail 
Retail experts don't expect the mix of retailers to shift significantly in the short run, but they anticipate growth to take place in the smaller shopping centers, where many of Long Island's retail shops exist now. And a movement toward localized and specialty retail, where stores offer a more personalized experience, has already begun, Cohen noted. 
"Employers - the ones that are smart - are not hiring clerks anymore," said Robert Fishman, a partner at Sandler Training in <a href="/topics/Hauppauge%2C_NY">Hauppauge</a>. "They are looking for people, asking, 'Are they willing to be business partners or are they just looking to collect a check?' " 
A strong customer relationship remains at the heart of success, said Shannon McComb of Love My Shoes, a local shoe chain. "You can have the right product, but if you don't have the right people to sell your product, you're in trouble," McComb said.

BZRETAIL10

Focus on customer service seen for jobs in retail

exMALLwestfieldmssqua

The next 25 years will bring slowed growth to government-sector jobs in <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> and <a href="/topics/Suffolk_County%2C_NY">Suffolk</a> counties, but public service will remain a major piece of <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a>'s employment puzzle, economists and labor experts believe. 
Police, elder-care workers and teachers will remain in demand, but jobs such as public maintenance workers and parks department employees will fall victim to privatization and layoffs, experts said. 
Government employs 209,300 <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> workers, making it the second largest employment sector on the Island, according to statistics provided by the <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> Regional Planning Council. Only education and health services - which also include public workers - employs more people, the planning council said. 
&nbsp; 
The budget squeeze 
Professional and business service jobs, expected to be the dominant sector by 2035, will also grow at a far more rapid rate than government jobs over the next 25 years - 53 percent compared with 6 percent, the projections state. 
"I don't see government disappearing - I see fewer people employed," said Carl Figliola, chairman of <a href="/topics/C._W._Post">C.W. Post</a> Campus of <a href="/topics/Long_Island_University">Long Island University</a>'s department of health care and public administration. 
As a growing taxpayer revolt pressures governments to downsize and cut back, public jobs will fall victim to tight budgets, declining tax revenues and a trend toward consolidating levels of government, experts said. Those trends are evidenced by Gov. <a href="/topics/David_A_Paterson">David A. Paterson</a>'s September call for New York State to shed 2,000 jobs by year's end. 
But a need to provide social services for retiring baby boomers will provide job opportunities in the public sector, said Dr. Gregory DeFreitas, director of the Center for the Study of Labor and Democracy at <a href="/topics/Hofstra_University">Hofstra University</a>. 
&nbsp; 
Quality-of-life jobs 
Local governments also will need to maintain law enforcement and public amenities to attract home buyers, which will necessitate jobs, DeFreitas said. 
"If we don't keep these things up, we shoot ourselves in the foot," he said. "We need to be very careful that we continue our basic services and enhance them, and that's going to create a need for a number of public-sector workers." 
Government job salaries could also see slower growth in the face of tough fiscal times, said Ilene Nathanson, a professor of social work at <a href="/topics/C._W._Post">C.W. Post</a>. 
The average government worker's salary on <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> rose 36 percent to $62,049 from 2000 to 2009, compared with $48,745 in the private sector, which grew 29 percent, according to state <a href="/topics/Labor_Department">Labor Department</a> statistics. That pace might not be sustainable, Nathanson said. 
"There will be jobs - but they might not pay what they paid," she said. 
Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the <a href="/topics/Civil_Service">Civil Service</a> Employees Association Local 830 - which represents about 10,000 <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> County workers - said tough budget years have caused the county to shed nonessential jobs, and that trend should continue. The <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> Parks Department employed 1,200 people in 1972, 888 in 1992 and now has 150 workers, county officials said. 
But the number of workers who handle key infrastructure - sewer workers, 911 operators and crossing guards - should hold steady, Laricchiuta said.

BZGOV10

Essential public jobs will grow, others will fall

operator

Finance, 
<a href="/topics/Real_Estate">real estate</a> 
and leasing
This category, where the <a href="/topics/Economic_Recession">recession</a> began, is expected to show mostly moderate growth, but its share of the job market - now 6.5 percent with 85,500 jobs - will shrink to 6.37 percent in 2035. 
Construction
From its 15-year peak of 5.37 percent of Long Island's total employment in 2005, the category will drop to 4.74 percent by 2035, owing to a current glut of housing now that will grow as retiring baby boomers sell their homes. 
Transportation and utilities
This sector's share of jobs will mostly decline. From its 20-year peak of 4.07 percent of jobs in 1990, the sector will fall to 2.25 percent by 2035. 
Wholesale trade
This category, which includes wholesalers of durable goods, such as cars and computer equipment, and nondurable goods such as food and fuel, will lose job-market share. In 1990, the sector had 6.17 percent of jobs. That will fall to 4.72 percent in 2035, largely because traffic woes have led companies to move distribution points elsewhere.InformationThis sector, which includes writers, editors and designers in publishing, broadcasting and Internet services, will see a modest growth of jobs on the Island. But its percentage of overall employment will remain in the 2 percent range, with 34,000 in 2035.

Business

BZSECT10

Other economic sectors: Few gains seen

High-tech skills will help define Long Island's manufacturing job market of the future.
Good-paying jobs in high technology and green industry companies will help the region retain its economic vibrancy, according to local economists and business leaders in more than a dozen interviews.
They believe the Island has an edge over other regions competing for new technology and green businesses. Experience in the defense industry and its major research facilities, they say, could nourish tech-driven industries such as alternative energy sources. But as the number of manufacturing jobs continues to decline, Long Island's high-tech aspirations are still years away.
Still, most local economists and business leaders are optimistic. "We remain competitive for manufacturing in which there is a high-technology component," said Pearl Kamer, chief economist for the Long Island Association.
For example, workers with expertise in instrumentation and electronic communications, carry-overs from the aerospace industry, could aid in the design, manufacturing and maintenance of charging stations for electric cars, she said. Other skilled tech jobs include making parts for aerospace, computer and electronics companies, the experts said. 
Computer software engineers, high-end machinists and even welders will find continued demand, the result of turnover from baby boomer retirements and the increasing specialization of manufacturing tasks, according to the <a href="/topics/New_York%2C_NY">New York</a> State <a href="/topics/Labor_Department">Labor Department</a>'s principal economist, Gary Huth.
Manufacturing accounted for 136,100 Long Island jobs in 1990, representing more than 12 percent of the workforce. Today, it has about 81,000 jobs, for 6.1 percent of the workforce, and those figures are forecast to drop to 71,000 and 4.6 percent by 2035, according to the Long Island Regional Planning Council.
 
Beyond the numbers
But the sector's outlook may be brighter than the numbers suggest. "It remains a driving dynamic in the Long Island economy that is kind of at risk because of its low visibility," Huth said, explaining that "there is more shrinkage because you are producing more output with fewer people." The numbers "kind of exaggerate . . . and they also mask what the dynamic really is."
Manufacturing, for example, still has some of the Island's best-paying jobs. Annual wages average $57,766, well above the $48,745 private-sector average, and well above the retail sector's $29,816, according to state Labor Department data.
"Some people do very well in the manufacturing sector if they have the skills in demand," Kamer said.
One advantage Long Island has is that it is home to major research institutions that are increasingly working to grow jobs by advancing fledgling technologies such as energy and biotech from the lab to the marketplace.
The future green economy - built around replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy - will include job titles that may not even exist yet, experts said. Beyond the manufacturing jobs it could bring, it would also call for increased demand for current occupations such as computer software engineers and boiler operators, and require additional training for positions such as building inspectors and air-conditioning installers, according to federal labor officials.
Through 2038, the greater New York area including Long Island is poised to lead the nation in green job creation, adding 198,000 new jobs, according to <a href="/topics/Global_Insight">Global Insight</a>, a research firm. That compares to 25,000 jobs that existed in 2006.
The Long Island Association projected that demand would grow in a green economy for manufacturing and construction jobs that employed nearly 31,000 Long <a href="/topics/New_York_Islanders">Islanders</a> in 2009 - earning between $39,208 and $96,304.
One sector likely to grow is professional, technical and scientific services, according to a report released last month by the Association. In 2009, there were nearly 8,200 Long Islanders working in this sector, which includes engineers and environmental consultants, according to the report. Average annual salaries ranged from $44,564 to $76,960.
 
From solar, bright spots
There has already been a boom in solar installation specialists. The <a href="/topics/Long_Island_Power_Authority">Long Island Power Authority</a> tracked only two residential and commercial solar power systems installed on the Island in 2000, but the number soared to 1,640 in 2008. Last year, 2,423 systems were put up, and 3,073 were installed in just the first six months of this year.
"We need people doing the design, the dramatic retrofitting," said Gregory DeFreitas, an economics professor at <a href="/topics/Hofstra_University">Hofstra University</a>, who said retrofitting older homes into more energy-efficient buildings could create thousands of jobs that would include electricians and construction workers. 
Also included would be "higher-end types of jobs, knowledge workers, science and engineering, business leadership, executive talent," said Walter Copan, managing director of <a href="/topics/Brookhaven%2C_NY">Brookhaven</a> National Laboratory's Office of Technology Commercialization and Partnerships.
As the head of the <a href="/topics/Hauppauge%2C_NY">Hauppauge</a> Industrial Association's manufacturing committee, Anne Shybunko-Moore, the president of GSE Dynamics Inc., a Hauppauge manufacturer of military parts, is taking on the task of increasing the visibility of Long Island's manufacturing sector, which has nearly 3,500 companies, and to counter its image as an insignificant slice of the economy. 
"There needs to be a message that manufacturing is still strong in terms of our contribution to the economy," she said.

BZTECH10

High-tech skills seen as key to manufacturing jobs

solar-future

For all the change that's taken place in <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a>'s economy and all that is still to come, one thing will never change: It will always be right next to <a href="/topics/New_York%2C_NY">New York</a> City, the most dominant economy in the nation. 
And for that reason, <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> economists said, <a href="/topics/New_York%2C_NY">New York</a> will always have significant economic influence on its oldest suburb. 
"A suburb is, by definition, a satellite of a city," said Irwin Kellner, chief economist of MarketWatch. Although <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> was initially heavily dependent on the city economically, it has matured into "a region of its own," he said. 
That's especially true for the center of the Island. Most of <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> is still influenced by the city because it borders <a href="/topics/Queens%2C_NY">Queens</a>, while the East End's tourism industry is city-related, too, he said. 
About 180,000 Long <a href="/topics/New_York_Islanders">Islanders</a> - 20 percent of the workforce - commute to the city every day, mostly from <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> County, said Martin Cantor, director of the Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute at <a href="/topics/Dowling_College">Dowling College</a>. 
Those people bring their dollars back to spend on Long Island. "You always want that," Cantor said. 
Especially because of who the commuters are, said Pearl Kamer, chief economist for the Long Island Association, the region's leading business group. 
"These are generally the highest-paying jobs," she said. Many of those commuters work on <a href="/topics/Wall_Street">Wall Street</a>, in law firms and at accounting firms. It's possible that <a href="/topics/Wall_Street">Wall Street</a> will decentralize, as some more of its jobs may move to <a href="/topics/New_Jersey%2C_NY">New Jersey</a> or elsewhere in the world, but Kamer said the city will provide other good jobs in international trade and business services. 
"Looking ahead, I really see more of the same," Kellner said. "Whatever influence there is . . . I don't see anything happening to change it."

BZCITY10

NYC economy always affects LI -- for better or worse

liLIRR

Adrienne Giannone,president and chief executive of Edge Electronics of <a href="/topics/Bohemia%2C_NY">Bohemia</a>.
 
Economic outlook: Long Island's economy will become ever more dependent on technology, which will help lift the region out of the doldrums.
 
Job outlook: Long <a href="/topics/New_York_Islanders">Islanders</a> who have 
technical skills will be in demand.
 
Software is going to be a huge player, especially in the Long Island market. I think that technology is always going to be emerging. It's growing every single day. Everybody has a handheld device. 
For me, the big obstacle is the talent, and keeping businesses and our youth on Long Island. That's the biggest obstacle.

BZBGIAN10

Crossroads: Electronic technology

bzEXEC05

Noreen Carro,vice president of LMN Printing Co., based in <a href="/topics/Valley_Stream%2C_NY">Valley Stream</a>, a certified female- and minority-owned company.
 
Economic outlook: "We're having a tough time. It's going to take a while to rebuild. . . . We have to pull together."
 
Jobs outlook: Jobs of the future will come from small business.
 
I believe the challenges that Long Island faces with regard to the economy, in the future, [are] that we have to make sure we can build again.
You're going to still see your mechanic companies. You will see a lot more health groups are opening up, small little clinics all over the place. I still see attorneys and lawyers and your nail salons. I don't think we're going to have the Grummans that we used to; I don't think that's part of it. But I see small banks opening up in the community and I see it growing from there. I don't see anything different with regard to jobs; I just see more of them in smaller clusters.
"We . . . have a great diversity of people, between religions and gender and ethnicity. I think that you're going to see more businesses popping up here. . . . I think in the next 25 years, Long Island will be terrific. It's terrific now. It's just going through a hard period.

BZBCARR10

Crossroads: Noreen Carro, LMN Printing Co.

Noreen Carro

Raj Mehta, founder and chief executive of Infosys International, Inc. Recently founded RESQ Solar Corp.
 
Economic outlook: Solar energy, green tech is the Island's future. 
 
Jobs outlook: Producing solar panels and other green tech products will generate jobs, though less than past manufacturing giants.
 
The solar energy, green technology is the one that will take out Long Island from this status of economy. . . . Currently we are dependent on . . . foreign oil obviously from the <a href="/topics/Middle_East">Middle East</a>. . . . LIPA is depending . . . on oil for generating the electricity. . . . If we don't do anything now, here, we will be depending in five years on solar panels from <a href="/topics/China">China</a> or Germany or Japan, somewhere outside. So I am taking initiative to start solar panel manufacturing on Long Island, which is very possible.
The challenges are obviously higher property taxes and the high utility costs. And as I said before, because the 91 percent of the electricity generated on Long Island is dependent on foreign oil, if we move on solar then that 91 percent could become 9 percent or 19 percent or 29 percent. . . . So I would only say that alternative energy is going to be ruling the next two decades. There are other technologies like biotech, nanotech, they are also there. They will be very powerful. . . . Technology will be coming up all the time, new technologies.

BZBMEHT10

Crossroads: Raj Mehta, Infosys International, Inc.

Raj Mehta

David Mavashev,Founder and chief executive of Nastel Technologies, Inc.
 
Economic outlook: Island's economy is recovering, but government needs to reduce taxes, offer more small-business incentives.
 
Job outlook: The world has become more global and technology has allowed outsourcing jobs. But businesses will have to hire local for a number of professions, like architects and engineers.
 
In our market . . . which looks for highly skilled people in software development and executives with a background in marketing and sales, it's not an easy task to find people here on Long Island. . . . 
They are not cheap, either. Even though people [are] talking about high <a href="/topics/Unemployment">unemployment</a> rates, we just don't see that reflected in this type of labor. . . . But certain types of professions will require people to be local. You cannot outsource, for example, sales engineering . . . [a] strong architect, that you need to have here. I see that there is . . . a trend to get out from the <a href="/topics/Economic_Recession">recession</a>. If we compare the recession to the previous one, which was 2000 and 2001, this recession looks . . . not as strong as it was at that time. . . . 
At that time we actually had to lay off some people. During [the] . . . current recession, we haven't laid of people. We actually hired people. . . . We hired people here on Long Island and across the United States. . . . We are basically selling enterprise type of software, performance management for applications, and there is a demand.

BZBMAVA10

Crossroads: David Mavashev, Nastel Technologies

Yacov Shamash, vice president of economic development, dean of College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook_University">Stony Brook University</a> 
 
Economic outlook: Spirit of innovation behind many local new high-tech companies could lead to an economic renaissance.
 
Job outlook: In time, jobs related to software, biotechnology and other cutting-edge fields will be plentiful.
 
I think you will find that in terms of technologies, we are going to see much more in the area of . . . biotech. I think software is going to grow. Electronics will continue to grow and to do well, as well as defense. Defense is doing quite well right now, what's left of it on Long Island. 
And I think the energy sector will pick up. We will find many new technology companies being created on Long Island that are based on alternative fuels, nonfossil-fuel generation of power. I think you're going to see a lot of it, a lot of activity on Long Island . . . for example, we're doing a lot of work in the smart-grid area. 
Whether it's engineering jobs, it's software developers, it's biologists, it's chemical engineers - they're all going to be needed . . . those are certainly very, very, good high-paying jobs. . . . One other resource that we have not taken full advantage of on Long Island is the financial institutions in the city. That's where there's a lot of money and we are seeing more interest by institutions in the city, venture capitalists that want to come in.

BZBSHAM10

Crossroads: Engineering educator

Kirk Kordeleski, chief executive of Bethpage Federal Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in the nation.
 
Economic outlook: The region's economic future is largely bright, but would be brighter if the "will to build" is recovered.
 
Job outlook: More than ever, a college education will be vital to getting a good job here. But there will be jobs for skilled workers.
 
We remain optimistic, that because 
<a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a>'s doing better than the rest 
of the country, that we'll fare better 
in this process.
I think that we will see continued job growth in those areas that you see today - health, education, consulting services, accounting, lawyers, legal services. I think that the challenges will be so much about the workforce. If you're not college-educated, it's going to be a challenge. The call center jobs, the backroom operations, the labor jobs - particularly as we're not doing a lot of building here on Long Island - they're going to be harder and harder to come by. 
I would think that many of the technology companies that are here and even the defense contracting companies that are here will continue to survive. I don't think they're going to grow. I don't have a sense that you're going to see <a href="/topics/Computer_Associates">Computer Associates</a> or others expand here. Health [care] will continue to grow.

BZBKORD10

Crossroads: Kirk Kordeleski, Bethpage Federal Credit Union

bzCROSSma

Kevin Gershowitz, president of 
Gershow Recycling
 
Economic outlook: Long Island is losing companies to red tape and the lengthy, uncertain process of establishing a business. 
 
Jobs outlook: Not everyone can be a doctor or lawyer. Long Island needs a good mix of jobs, ranging from industrial to professional.
 
What I consider a primary focus of why Long Island has trouble is getting through the red tape. . . . Whether it's a development project or a business wanting to expand or a storefront wants to knock a wall down to another storefront, you need a permit. And that process is incredibly slow. It's almost backwards. Today you may have the wherewithal, or the money or the capital to expand your business, but 18 months from now, you may not. Business has to strike while the iron is hot. 
The economy goes in a circle. And it contracts and it expands. And businesses go out of business and come into business. So when businesses go out, where are the new ones coming in? Part of Long Island's problem is we don't bring new ones in because of the fence, so to speak, to get into Long Island, the red tape, the controls, the timeline. So if you're in business and you've been able to find funding to open up your factory and you can get an approval in the Carolinas in six months and you can't do that anywhere else and you already have the funding lined up, you're going to the Carolinas. You're not coming to Long Island.

BZBGERS10

Crossroads: Recycling

John D. Cameron Jr., founder and managing partner of Cameron Engineering &amp; Associates, Llp, in <a href="/topics/Woodbury%2C_NY">Woodbury</a>; chairman of the Long Island Regional Planning Council.
 
Economic outlook: Long Island is resilient, but the high costs and lack of infrastructure funding are major hurdles.
 
Jobs outlook: Island needs to increase student proficiency in science and grow its science, technology, engineering and math sectors. 
 
There are some major challenges on the Island - lack of a diversity of affordable housing on the Island, high cost of doing business, including taxes, property taxes, income taxes, business taxes, etc. 
 We are highly taxed here on Long Island. The high cost of energy even though we have a fairly reliable source of energy here on Long Island. We have an aging infrastructure and that presents unique challenges to us. 
 We're also the nation's oldest suburb, so as a result, while we are a mature suburb, that presents some unique challenges. . . . Whether it's the state or local governments, there is an insufficient amount of funding available to upgrade that infrastructure. And if we don't continue to upgrade our infrastructure, the quality of life that we've grown to love here on Long Island is seriously put at risk.
Until we do something with some public entitlements in New York State - Medicaid, public pensions as well as in health insurance - these public entitlements are making it incredibly difficult for even local governments to continue to operate. So as a result they do not have the funds necessary to invest in our infrastructure.

BZBCAME10

Crossroads: Engineering

Rob Basso,owner of Advantage Payroll Services, a <a href="/topics/Freeport%2C_NY">Freeport</a> company that serves many small businesses on Long Island.
 
Economic outlook: The economy would recover and grow more quickly if there were fewer taxes, regulations and other governmental obstacles to business.
 
Job outlook: The prospects for those in high-tech industries or for the highly educated are good.
 
I think with the growth and potential of renewable energy products and services, as well as some high-tech ventures, I think that's where this Island is going and where it should go.
Some of the assets that we have that will help this region are our great universities. Between <a href="/topics/Hofstra_University">Hofstra University</a>, <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook%2C_NY">Stony Brook</a> and all the significant educational facilities that we have . . . we've got a tremendous brain trust here on Long Island.
I think there's just going to be more high-tech jobs. I think there's going to be more people using the Web to make their livings than there are now. Only the strong will survive, so no matter what you do, you better be on the top of your game because competition in every business is getting steeper because of technology and the use of it. And you don't have to have $1-million seed money to have a million-dollar idea and bring a winning concept to the marketplace.

BZBBASS10

Crossroads: Payroll service

Rob Basso  cropped 6.4.12

Kerry O'Brien,49, co-owns T.F. O'Brien &amp; Co. Inc. in New Hyde Park. 
Why did you go into this field? 
The simple answer is, it's a third-generation family business . . . I stayed in it because I like to solve puzzles, to come up with solutions. 
What would you say to someone considering this career? 
We're problem solvers. You have to be someone who likes to solve puzzles. What is kind of neat about it is for the most part you are offering people solutions, helping them save energy costs and increase reliability. You've got to keep on top of what you need to know.

BZDHVAC10

Career advice: Air-conditioning technician

Jose Bonilla, 37, of Westbury, is a clinical social worker in the division of community psychiatry and substance abuse services at Glen Cove Hospital. 
Why did you go into this field? 
I genuinely believed I could make a positive influence in changing people. I had a keen interest in understanding the psychology of addiction. I was fascinated in understanding how someone's life could be so devastated by a drug and yet still that person continued to deny its devastating effects. 
What would you say to someone considering this career? 
Substance abuse is a chronic mental illness and it really should be viewed as such. Work as a substance abuse counselor can often become frustrating. It can be frustrating when we want recovery for the patient at our speed instead of the patient's. It's pivotal for you to understand that people won't get better by what we say to them but their own process of recovery, which often includes numerous relapses of their old behavior. 
Two of our major roles is to provide a sense of consistency and structure, which are traits that are often underdeveloped in the substance abuser. Two of our other functions are to encourage emotional support and the overall recovery lifestyle. We need to be mindful that true recovery can be achieved by the patient themselves at their own process and if they really want it. . . . We have to be cognizant of our own limitations and rescue fantasies.

BZDCOUNSELOR10

Career advice: Substance-abuse counselor

John Awad, 23, of East Meadow, is majoring in computer programming 
and information systems.
 
Why do you want to go into this field?
I always liked computers. I started as a hobby, playing with them and repairing them for friends and family. I moved from <a href="/topics/Jordan">Jordan</a> three years ago and studied science at <a href="/topics/Nassau_Community_College">Nassau Community College</a>. Now I'm a senior at Farmingdale College, which is great because they want to make sure you graduate with a job. I hope to work at a small company and then move to a larger one.
 
What would you say to someone considering this career?
You need to be passionate about programming, networking, Web design - everything about computers. Jobs are tight in some areas now, but I think it's going to grow.

BZDCOMPUTER10

Computer system analyst

Ian Delaney, 30, at Fitness Together in Port Jefferson 
&nbsp;Why did you go into this field? 
I went through a number of other jobs coming out of college. I was drawn to helping people, getting them to the goals where they wanted to be. What I want to do is make people feel comfortable. It's rewarding when people hit their goals. 
What would you say to someone considering this career? 
First and foremost you've got to be comfortable working directly with people. Trust is huge. People with injuries aren't going to feel comfortable doing certain exercises. You have to have knowledge of everything - what people can and can't do.

BZDFITNESS10

Career advice: Fitness trainer

Chris Kudlik, 29, of St. James, works in the neurological rehab department of <a href="/topics/North_Shore-Long_Island_Jewish_Health_System">North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System</a>'s Southside Hospital in Bay Shore. 
Why did you go into this field? 
I guess it's the complexity of patients. You are treating not just a specific impairment, you are treating the whole patient and . . . the family as well. When people come to this setting they are going through the worst time in their lives. It's a privilege because they are coming to you to help them do the basic things in life we all take for granted. 
What would you say to someone considering this career? 
The good thing about it is that there are so many different places to do physical therapy and there is always teaching as well. It's just so diverse. There are so many different settings.

BZDTHERAPIST10

Career advice: Physical therapist

Melania Abreu,54, of Freeport. <a href="/topics/Nassau_University_Medical_Center">Nassau University Medical Center</a>
 
Why did you go into this field?
When I came to this country I had very little English. I liked to help people out, especially if they don't speak English. I want to make sure they go home happy.
 
What would you say to someone considering this career?
You have to be patient; you see people in pain. You have to have compassion. You need to be a people person in order to do this.

BZDDENTAL10

Crossroads: Dental assistant

Wanda Murdaugh, 39, Valley Stream. She's with <a href="/topics/All_Metro_Health_Care">All Metro Health Care</a> in Lynbrook. 
Why did you go into this field? 
My mom was sick and had so many good people taking care of her. I thought, 'I can do that. I'm going to give back.' An aide is a nurturing person. I felt this is what I really want to do. In a hospital it's the nurses and aides who are right there with the patients and the families, too. 
It feels so good for a family to be at ease leaving their loved one in the care of someone they can trust. I lived with a patient for four years. She died a few weeks ago at age 100. I was holding her hand. 
What would you say to someone considering this career? 
It's a rewarding career. You get so much enjoyment. In order to do this, you have to have unconditional love. If you want a job where you are helping someone, this is the job for you.

BZDAIDE10

Career advice: Home health aide

Herman Rivera,57, of Brentwood. <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook_University">Stony Brook University</a> Medical Center
 
Why did you go into this field?
I volunteered in the hospital when I was 16. Watching others go to X-ray school, I decided to go. It's a job you can learn in New York but have a job anywhere in the country or the world."
 
What would you say to someone considering this career?
It's an art. You take pride in what you do and try to get the best image for that patient.

BZDRADIOLOGY10

Crossroads: X-ray technician

Melissa Portelli, 29, Islip Terrace. CPA with Holtz, Rubenstein, Reminick 
&nbsp; 
Why did you go into this field? 
I wanted to work as a trusted professional and work with a variety of industries. I like the business environment. There are a lot of different aspects to it beside math, although I was very good at math, actually. 
&nbsp; 
What would you say to someone considering this career? 
I think it's a great profession. Once they choose accounting, there are different career paths to choose within the profession, from taxes to audits to finance to advising small businesses. I chose auditing. I go to meetings, I meet with clients, I do marketing and training. I don't do the same thing day after day. You don't need to be good at math; the computer does the math for you. You have to have a certain number of college credits to sit for the exam to be a certified public accountant, but it's possible to be in the field without certification.

BZDCPA10

Accountant

Cynthia Sorensen, 29, at <a href="/topics/Dix_Hills%2C_NY">Dix Hills</a> Animal Hospital in <a href="/topics/Huntington%2C_NY">Huntington</a> 
Why did you go into this field? 
I found this job in a roundabout way. When I started college, I was interested in forensic science, so I studied sociology and chemistry at the <a href="/topics/C._W._Post">C.W. Post</a> Campus of <a href="/topics/Long_Island_University">Long Island University</a>. 
I volunteered at this vet's office through college. . . . Then I went to grad school at John Jay College for forensic science. When I was doing my thesis, I realized I was dealing with dead people and murder. 
Something inside me said, 'This is not what drives me.' I loved animals but didn't want the pressure of being a veterinarian. 
I went to <a href="/topics/Suffolk_County%2C_NY">Suffolk</a> County Community College and enrolled in the two-year vet tech program, and when I graduated [in 2007] I took a test to be certified by New York State. 
What would you say to someone considering this career? 
You have to enjoy animals. I grew up with cats and dogs. It's not the same as being a veterinarian and having your own clinic. But you don't have all that responsibility. And we have an opening for a vet tech right now."

News

BZDVETTECH10

Career advice: Veterinarian tech

Name: Marc Cléjan 
Age: 47 
Company: GreenLogic, alternative energy installer 
Job title: Co-founder 
Location: Southampton-based, with five Long Island locations 
Where Cléjan thinks the industry is headed: 
His business has doubled each year for the past two years. The appeal of solar grows as panels get a bit cheaper to buy and put in; he hopes support from utilities and government regulation will continue to foster the market. 
His company's new direction: 
Counts on new technologies such as electric and plug-in hybrids: Drivers will need charging stations and someone's got to build them. 
We see our future as anything having to do with green energy solutions. . . . There's a whole other wave we envision for the next five years. . . . Building out the whole infrastructure to use their electric cars is going to be a next big phase."

BZDGREEN10

Career advice: Alternative energy installer

Hot jobs on LI -- and how to get one

Newsday

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