While the construction of the del Lago Resort and Casino is still in progress, it hasn’t stopped the venue from helping the community of Seneca County. On Tuesday, the casino provided an update of the construction progress, now at 85% completion, along with announcing a donation to enhance workforce diversity in the area.

$100,000 was provided by the casino and spa to the Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board to help fund as well as train a new generation of skilled workers. This would include those interested in becoming masons, electricians, and plumbers. The casino is also coming together with local unions to see women as well as minorities employment numbers increase. The board will be using the money to create a diverse workforce when filling the 1,800 permanent positions within the venue.

The inside of the casino is currently being developed and many employees have already been hired. There are others in training and the venue continues to recruit to be able to hire more individuals. The General Manager of the casino, Jeff Babinski, stated that if you take a look back around 30 years ago, there were a lot of industries, some plants in the area have shut down and the region took a big hit. Because of this, the casino is happy to be bringing 1,800 jobs to the community.

Karen Springmeier of the Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board commented on the need for skilled trades, stating that it seems that over the next decade, there will be a 27% increase in the demand for careers in skilled trades as well as advanced manufacturing. Springmeier also pointed out that many baby boomers will be retiring from skilled trades and that pipeline is not there to fill.

The new casino will be opening in a few months, by February 2017, with the hotel and spa to open a few months after the gaming venue.