By Adina Genn

August 12, 2026

Read on Long Island Business News
The Blueprint:

• HIA-LI partners with Health & Welfare Council of Long Island
• LongIslandJobs.org expands to include private-sector employers
• Platform launched in April 2026 to support SNAP and Medicaid recipients
• NAKA Technologies developed the Long Island-focused job platform

Hauppauge-based HIA-LI and Huntington Station-based Health & Welfare Council of Long Island are joining forces to expand LongIslandJobs.org. The platform is designed to connect employers and job seekers through a coordinated, regional network.

HIA-LI, a business advocacy organization headquartered in the Long Island Innovation Park, is introducing the platform to its network, where private-sector employers can currently post open positions for free.

Launched by Health & Welfare Council of Long Island (HWCLI) in April 2026, the platform features job openings, job fairs, workforce training, career resources, volunteer opportunities and local career center information.

The platform was established as expanded federal work requirements for some SNAP recipients took effect in New York in March 2026. It s designed to help certain Medicaid recipients navigate federal community-engagement requirements set to begin in 2027.

“LongIslandJobs.org was created in response to a real and immediate need, but it was always intended to make it easier for people to access jobs, training, volunteer opportunities, and workforce resources in one place,” Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and chief executive of HWCLI, said in a news release about the expanded platform.

“By partnering with HIA-LI, we can bring the nonprofit, private, and education sectors together so the platform can serve more Long Island job seekers, employers, and communities,” she said.

The platform initially featured resources and open positions from nonprofit, healthcare and human-service organizations. Expanding the platform to private-sector employers was planned as its next phase.

“This partnership gives Long Island employers another practical way to reach people who are ready to work while strengthening the region’s overall talent pipeline,” Terri Alessi-Miceli, president and chief executive of HIA-LI, said in the news release.

“Our members consistently tell us that finding qualified candidates is one of their greatest challenges,” she said. “LongIslandJobs.org is robust, easy to navigate, and focused specifically on Long Island, which makes it a natural fit with HIA-LI’s longstanding workforce-development efforts.”

The platform was developed by HWCLI in partnership with NAKA Technologies, a minority-owned information technology provider in Central Islip. Built specifically for Long Island, the platform helps job seekers avoid out-of-region listings they might find on national job sites. It also enhances visibility for local employers by keeping their openings from getting lost among listings from outside Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Employers can create profiles and post openings, directing candidates to their careers pages or application portals. Smaller businesses without applicant-tracking systems can accept applications directly through the platform.

“A strong regional economy depends on the ability of employers to find the people they need and for Long Islanders to find meaningful career opportunities close to home,” Anthony Manetta, chair of HIA-LI’s board of directors and founder and CEO of Standard Advisors Group, said in the news release. “This collaboration responds to both sides of that equation. It gives businesses a valuable recruitment resource while helping residents connect with jobs, training, and pathways toward long-term economic stability.”

The partnership complements HIA-LI’s Workforce Development Task Force, a cross-sector group of business, workforce and education leaders, including through BOCES. The task force identified 10 regional priorities, including a centralized workforce information hub – a goal that is central to LongIslandJobs.org.

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