Grant boosts SCCC, HVCC manufacturing worker training programs

The Center for Economic Growth, Albany, N.Y., has received a $250,000 donation from the KeyBank Foundation which will go to Schenectady County Community College and Hudson Valley Community College over the next two years to support expansion and marketing of training programs for manufacturing workers.

Growth in the region has increased the challenge for manufacturers in finding qualified employees. The grant will fund two steps to help address this. First, HVCC will help build an entry-level talent pool for manufacturers. Second, SCCC will help experienced workers (currently employed or unemployed) increase their skill sets to qualify for new jobs or promotions.

Earlier this year HVCC held its first two Manufacturing Technology Pathways boot camps, 80-hour training programs that combine classroom lectures with hands-on lab work. The KeyBank Foundation grant will support four or five additional boot camps from mid-2018 through mid-2020, and HVCC expects 100 students to enroll in them.

This fall SCCC will launch a certified production technician program in partnership with Capital Region BOCES and The Business Council of New York State. To boost the skills of workers with manufacturing experience, it will include eight- to 12-week certificate courses in five modules: safety; quality practices and measurement; manufacturing processes and production; maintenance awareness; and green production. The KeyBank funding will support three courses that are expected to enroll 10 students each.