RCC Wins $933K Training Grant For Advanced Manufacturing Workforce

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Rockland Community College has received a $933,000 state grant to develop and implement a new industrial machinery mechanics program to address talent shortages for Hudson Valley employers in the advanced manufacturing sector.

The Pay for Performance grant to RCC from the Office of Strategic Workforce Development was one of 15 that will train more than 2,000 workers across New York State for over 100 business partners.

"This project is part of Rockland Community College's goal to ‘skill-up’ Rockland and create pathways that lead to upward economic mobility," said Kevin Stump, RCC Vice President of Economic Mobility and Workforce Innovation, who was also co-chair of the 2018 Invest in Skills NY campaign that secured the first $175 million of workforce development investment from the state.

The college's Economic Mobility and Workforce Innovation Division will design a new pathway, called that because it includes not only courses and programs with flexible schedules to meet the needs of working adults but also provides opportunities to gain industry-specific certificates or transfer into degree-seeking programs.

Courses will build off each other to create a pathway for career mobility that is transferable as college credit to encourage life-long-learning and upskilling. It will include a pre-enrollment assessment to identify barriers to student success and make connections to services such as mentorship.

"We're always looking for ways to help students connect with employers," RCC President Dr. Lester Edgardo Sandres Rápalo told Patch. "This grant will help us focus on building a pipeline of qualified candidates for advanced manufacturing, where a pool of trained workers is needed to replace retiring workers."

According to the state Bureau of Labor Statistics, the advanced manufacturing sector grew by 12 percent between 2018-22, he said. Annual wages can be upward of $69,000.

There have been more than 2,000 job postings for industrial machinery installation and maintenance, he said. "There are 514 employers in the Hudson Valley looking for these kinds of employees."

Rapalo, who came to the college in July, praised the work of the Economic Mobility and Workforce Innovation Division under Stump's leadership.

"You know it is my vision and mission to address student needs and employer needs," he said. "We are addressing the course credit side and also the region's economy."

Class options, fees, duration, and locations will vary by program. Some students may qualify for scholarships and grants. RCC officials anticipate that the new pathway will be in place by next spring. Enrollment into classes will be available through the college’s website.

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