Finger Lakes TV has launched a new show, called “On the Job with Finger Lakes Television,” to help young people learn more about careers with employers in the Finger Lakes region. The first episode features two women who work at Optimax Systems in Ontario, Wayne County, Jaeden Powers and Genny Kingsley. They talk about the path to their current career and the type of work they do. “On the Job with Finger Lakes Television” is shown every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and every Friday at 8 p.m. on channel 12 or digital 5.12 on the Spectrum cable system in the Finger Lakes region. All Finger Lakes TV content is simultaneously webcast at fingerlakestv.org/live. The show is a collaboration with the Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board and Finger Lakes Community College. Finger Lakes Television is an independent public access station based at FLCC’s main campus through an in-kind donation of space and administrative services. The station broadcasts live Canandaigua and Geneva city council meetings, providing hands-on camera opportunities for FLCC students. Finger Lakes TV also records and broadcasts community events such as lectures, concerts and parades as well as national public access programming from NASA and other sources. For more information about Finger Lakes TV, call (585) 785-1623.

Our esteemed guests are Rick Plympton and Mike Mandina, CEO and President of Optimax Systems. This optics company is no traditional success story. The website states it well: “We leverage our optics manufacturing technology for programs that benefit mankind and projects that defend our freedom.” Rick and Mike have fostered a corporate culture that empowers and dignifies the 280 people who work there. It’s nothing short of cutting edge…and fun. Rick Plympton, CEO, Optimax Systems Mike Mandina, President, Optimax Systems

BLU employer Mike Mandina, president of Optimax in Ontario, NY, discusses the challenges of finding skilled workers to fill available positions in his precision optics manufacturing company and his work with partnerships that are creating a pipeline of trained workers to meet industry needs.