Clinton Community College has been chosen as the recipient of a $12.7 million grant, funded by the SUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program that will be used to build the area’s first manufacturing institute.
The grant, which was approved on Sept. 16 according to the Press-Republican, will not only provide the money for a new two-story facility on the CCC campus, but will also allow the college to partner with the Manufacturing and Technology Resource Center to provide training programs and classes in the growing fields of transportation, manufacturing and aerospace work.
According to a report released by the governor’s office on www.labor.ny.gov, the trade, transportation, and utilities sector has been listed as one of the seven “significant” industries in the North Country.
This listing means that the sector has grown considerably over the past few years, both in job opportunities and production.
“There are some great things happening in manufacturing in the area, and Clinton County manufacturers are growing,” said Director of Center for Community & Workforce Development Paul DeDominicas. “The advanced manufacturing institute will be a central location for businesses to find the resources they need to train existing employees as well as be able to hire new graduates.”
CCC’s partnership with Plattsburgh State and Clarkson University will also allow students to expand their professional opportunities.
The Global Supply Chain Management program at PSUC, in which students study the coordination of all parts of the production process, from raw material to the finished product being placed in a customer’s hand, has been noted as one of the programs that will work closely with the manufacturing institute.
“There are a number of programs that make sense for the two colleges to partner on to give students more opportunity,” said DeDominicas.
“The Supply Chain program is a good example of that. Many manufacturers rely heavily on the supply chain ,and this project will allow the two schools to work together to give students options on how to enter that field.”
In addition to the project at CCC, there are four other grant-based projects currently underway in New York State, with funds totaling $55 million, according to the Press Republican.
“The SUNY 2020 grant program is a major state investment in strengthening the linkage between the SUNY system, including our community colleges, and the state’s economic future,” said President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce Garry Douglas.
“First it will help to retain companies and jobs already here by allowing skills upgrades. Secondly, it will add to the power of our story when we are working with prospective new employers — being able to point to a state-of-the-art training center for advanced manufacturing, which will be available to meet their needs. That inevitably means more jobs and better jobs for the North Country,” Douglas said.
Email Thomas Marble at thomas.marble@cardinapointsoniline.com.
