Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the New York State Office of Strategic Workforce Development has awarded more than $12 million in grants to fifteen projects across the state through the fourth round of the Workforce Development Capital and Pay for Performance Grant Programs. These grants will support the training of more than 2,000 workers through collaboration between training providers and more than 100 employer partners in fields like construction, building maintenance, industrial manufacturing, renewable energy and software engineering. The Office, which operates under Empire State Development, is charged with supporting industry-driven workforce development programs and practices to ensure New Yorkers are prepared to meet the needs and priorities of employers.
“Developing the workforce of the future is crucial for our continued economic success,” Governor Hochul said. “This new round of strategic workforce development grants will continue our mission to help all New Yorkers acquire sought after skills employers require while providing essential wraparound services so that those who have been traditionally left behind can thrive in the workforce of the future.”
This fourth round of awards from the Office of Strategic Workforce Development brings the total investments from four rounds to more than $36 million that will leverage more than $38 million in public and private funding and support over 11,000 trainees for over 400 business partners.
The grants awarded to fifteen projects today will support employer-driven, high-skilled workforce training programs and reward innovative approaches and best practices that reduce the barriers to participation for high-need communities. The $35 million Workforce Development Capital Grant Program will support the capital needs of workforce training providers that seek to enhance or expand their offerings. The $115 million Pay for Performance (P4P) Grant Program has two funding tracks: flexible Operating Grants that help providers cover programmatic expenses like curriculum development and wraparound services to prepare New Yorkers with in-demand skills and industry-recognized credentials; and Capacity-Building Awards, a data- and metrics-driven approach to scale up proven workforce training programs actively placing graduates in good jobs. Using achievement-based awards, workforce training providers will receive funding to expand the capacity of successful programs with high placement rates and effective wraparound services.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “We believe that investing in workforce development is the cornerstone of good economic development and that requires having people who are ready today with the skills needed for tomorrow. These grants will continue to shine the light on our continued success building high-quality, employer-driven programs that produce top notch talent which adds to the many qualities that attract industries to all corners of New York State.”
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “I thank Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to workforce development. These grants will help training providers and business partners support accessible job training services that will ensure New Yorkers receive the skills they need to be successful. The New York State Department of Labor will connect New Yorkers to any learning opportunities they need to be part of our strong and diverse workforce.”
Round Four Awardees:
Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing & Consumer Affairs – Long Island – $3,000,000 Workforce Capital Grant and $1,000,000 P4P Operating Grant: Suffolk County will use funding to establish the Brentwood Center, a workforce training center to support the needs of the region’s U.S. Navy Submarine Industrial Base and its supply chain. Once completed, the state-of-the-art Brentwood Center will provide manufacturing and job readiness training and wraparound services to local high school students, working in partnership with Eastern Suffolk BOCES and U.S. Navy/Blue Forge Alliance. The program will expand the local talent pool for the more than 35 regional manufacturers who are part of the submarine industrial base’s supply chain.
Pursuit Transformation Company – New York City – $1,500,000 Workforce Capital Grant and $1,000,000 P4P Operating Grant: Pursuit will create a tech hub and training center in Queens that will host their software engineering training, apprenticeship and career development programs which will train low-income New Yorkers for high-paying tech jobs with more than 100 employer partners. P4P funds will be used to grow pre-apprenticeship technical and leadership training as well as a host of wraparound services including career coaching, mentorship and financial literacy and management services.
Northland Workforce Training Center – Western NY – $1,373,000 Workforce Capital Grant and $1,000,000 P4P Operating Grant: Northland Workforce Training Center will build out and implement a Clean Technology Training Lab to deliver industry-driven training in support of statewide renewable energy goals and will purchase new training equipment in support of their existing programs. Available training will include advanced manufacturing competencies utilized by manufacturers, as well as renewable energy systems such as solar, wind, microgrids, battery storage, electric vehicle charging and building automation. In addition to free or low-cost credentialed training, Northland offers comprehensive wraparound services to support the success of students, including childcare, transportation, mental and substance abuse counseling, and financial assistance.
SUNY Alfred State College of Technology – Western New York – $1,250,000 Workforce Capital Grant and $270,223 P4P Operating Grant: The college will expand their Wellsville campus as a training site to enhance their workforce development programs in the construction, building trades, agriculture, heavy equipment operations and clean energy sectors. The funding will support the development of seven low-cost microcredentials in these fields, supplementing successful existing associate degree programs. This expansion will allow for increased enrollment in courses designed to meet industry needs for entry-level and mid-skilled workers.
SUNY Long Island Educational Opportunity Center – Long Island – $504,002 Workforce Capital Grant and $52,455 P4P Operating Grant: Long Island EOC will purchase a mobile welding lab in order to offer a new welding training program to multiple underserved communities around Long Island. The self-contained, mobile training space is a more affordable option than a brick-and-mortar training location and allows LIEOC to bring the training to communities where the need is greatest, reducing barriers to access and providing free training and certification.
SUNY Rockland Community College – Mid-Hudson – $933,412 P4P Operating Grant: The college will develop and implement a new industrial machinery maintenance mechanics pathway that will provide credentialed training for students while meeting the hiring needs of local manufacturing partners. A pre-enrollment assessment will identify barriers to student success and make connections to services such as mentorship, advising, transportation assistance and more to reduce those barriers. Courses will build of each other to create a pathway for career mobility and can be converted to college credit if desired.
SUNY Suffolk County Community College – Long Island – $399,435 P4P Operating Grant: The college will create a new CNC machining training program and supplemental CNC Swiss machining program to meet the needs of Long Island’s thousands of small manufacturers, who identified the lack of qualified candidates as a significant challenge. In addition to technical training, the program will provide high school seniors and un/underemployed adults with career coaching, scholarships, industry networking events, and job placement assistance with industry partners upon program completion.
Assembly House 150 – Western New York – $242,893 P4P Operating Grant: This funding will prepare participants for construction careers with hands-on instruction by industry experts, site visits, job readiness training, and job placement services via the existing SACRA program and will develop and pilot a training program for SACRA graduates to gain further specialized skills. Focusing on recruiting immigrants, justice-involved individuals, those with housing instability or single parents, the program provides participants a pathway to self-sufficiency while addressing the local need for skilled workers.
ICD International Center for the Disabled dba Institute for Career Development – New York City – $179,685 P4P Operating Grant: ICD’s Building Repair Technician program provides people with disabilities in NYC with basic building and maintenance skills and certifications as well as work readiness training and experiential learning opportunities to bolster their resumes. Funding will be used to increase the scope of wraparound services for trainees, including transportation assistance and participant stipends, that will help trainees complete the program successfully.
Erie 1 BOCES – Western New York – $146,695 Workforce Capital Grant: This funding will support the purchase and installment of equipment to update and expand Erie 1 BOCES’ CNC manufacturing and welding programs, including a working production line for trainees to set-up, troubleshoot and perform maintenance tasks. Trainees will be certified and prepared to fill advanced manufacturing jobs in the region.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. said, “Through the Governor’s ongoing investment in workforce development, we are expanding the training we provide for in-demand jobs. Throughout my visits to the campuses awarded today, I benefitted from meeting some of the people going through our training programs—some returning to acquire skills they need for that next promotion—and I am proud that we can help more New Yorkers do the same. My congratulations to the SUNY teams at Northland Workforce Training Center, Alfred State, Long Island Educational Opportunity Center, Rockland Community College, and Suffolk County Community College.”
Assemblymember Harry Bronson said, “Thank you Governor Hochul for continuing to invest in New York's workforce. As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Economic Development, I believe that our economic development initiatives must include a corresponding workforce development component. OSWD's fourth round grant funding will train thousands of workers throughout the state, enabling them to develop stable, rewarding careers in new industries, which will create long-term successes for New York's economy."
Assemblymember LaToya Joyner said, “The Workforce Development Capital Program and the P4P Grant Program are powerful tools that help make our state’s workforce the best in the nation. Funding from this most recent round of awards will go all across the state to strengthen job pipelines in essential and high-skill industries. I am particularly pleased that about $3 million of this money will go directly to our SUNY schools, connecting young New Yorkers to high-quality jobs in manufacturing, construction, and agriculture. Over $2 million will also go to the Northland Workforce Training Center, which is helping prepare workers for our transition to a low-carbon future. It is great to see the Governor continue to prioritize workforce development."
Assemblymember Al Stirpe said, “Governor Hochul’s announcement today demonstrates a thoughtful and targeted approach to strategic workforce development in New York. These fifteen projects throughout the state focus on workforce programs supporting our national security, driving the state’s climate goals and tackling the critical need for workers in construction and manufacturing. Recognizing that participating in these programs is not always easy, some of the programs funded directly address barriers to student success including making connections to services such as transportation assistance, mentorship and even a mobile training space to provide greater access in underserved communities.”