SUNY Chancellor Malatras Announces Start of Construction of $11 Million FWD Center at MCC
July 29, 2021
State-of-the-Art Facility Will Offer Accelerated Training Programs for Over 2,500 Students in High-Demand Careers in Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Various Apprenticeship Programs
New Center is the Model of Co-Locating Multiple Colleges and Private Sector to Help Fill the Growing Need for Skilled and Ready Workforce to Meet the Demands of Regional Employers
Photos Available from Today’s Announcement Here
Rochester, NY – State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras on Thursday joined SUNY Trustees Robert Duffy and Christy Fogal, Monroe Community College President DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello, the regional state legislative delegation, and local officials to announce the start of construction on the $11.4 million Finger Lakes Workforce Development (FWD) Center on Monroe Community College’s (MCC) Downtown Campus. As a regional workforce model, the FWD Center will be operated with industry and partnerships with Genesee Community College, Finger Lakes Community College, BOCES, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association, Greater Rochester Enterprise, NYS Department of Labor, RochesterWorks!, and Monroe County. The new state-of-the-art facility will train at least 2,500 students in various in-demand careers in manufacturing and technology. The center is expected to open early 2022.
SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras, MCC President DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna and MCC students gather around a robot, following the FWD Center construction kickoff ceremony.
The Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center has been designed to focus on short-term and accelerated training programs that place individuals in high-demand jobs within advanced manufacturing, information technology, health care, skilled trades apprenticeship, and professional services. It will also be home to critical training programs for all learners: credit and non-credit based programs and customized training to meet the needs of an employer. A recent survey conducted by the New York State Department of Labor found 48% of New York employers ranked the lack of qualified applicants as their main barriers to hiring.
“Because of skills gaps, there are critical workforce shortages across our state and SUNY will help fill that growing need. Today’s start of construction of the Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center is a key example of our SUNY for All program—going into communities too often left behind; bringing multiple colleges together under one roof to leverage the individual SUNY campuses’ strength to provide students more opportunities; and connecting students who will be ready for work, with the Department of Labor and public industry partners ready to connect them to in-demand, well-paying jobs,” said Chancellor Malatras. “Thanks to the investment from New York State, we can make this a reality, and start to fill the 20,000 open jobs in the Finger Lakes region. We have to give the community a chance at economic opportunities, and not only provide high-quality education to our students, but set them up for success, which is exactly what will take place at this center. I thank President Burt-Nanna and her campus leadership team, Trustees Duffy and Fogal, Monroe County Executive Bello, our state legislative delegation, and all our partners for their advocacy and support of this project.”
SUNY Board of Trustee Robert Duffy said, “Today’s announcement is a cause for celebration—SUNY is creating clear education-to-career pathways for our students, and helping the economy move forward after all the hardships faced by businesses throughout New York State due to the pandemic. The Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center shows what can be accomplished when elected officials, the workforce, and higher education all work together to support a common goal. Our students who take courses at the center will receive hands-on learning experiences that will prepare them to enter into a job feeling confident to succeed.”
SUNY Board of Trustee Christy Fogal said, “SUNY’s community colleges are leading the way in workforce development, and the addition of the Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center underscores how much of a priority it is for our system to offer world-class training programs. We know that there is a need for more employees in the manufacturing and technology sectors—SUNY is answering that call through the academic offerings that will train our students at the center. With accessibility and equity at the forefront of its mission, this center will be a beacon of opportunity for those living in the surrounding areas and help the region bounce back after COVID-19.”
Monroe Community College President Dr. Burt-Nanna said, “As Industry 4.0 changes the way all of us live and do business, it’s critical that employers have access to a workforce that is able to use smart technologies in business environments. The Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center will be home to affordable, high-caliber education and training programs that will be accessible to diverse learners across the region, preparing them for in-demand tech-oriented careers that pay living wages and are less vulnerable to future displacement. With a 60-year track record of putting people back to work, Monroe Community College is excited to be part of a regional effort in developing the next generation of skilled technicians and moving the economy forward.”
Made possible by New York State and SUNY capital funding, the Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center is expected to open in early 2022 and anticipates training an estimated 2,500 individuals in the first three years of its operation. The project is budgeted at $11.4M, with $6M coming from a SUNY2020 grant, and $5.4M coming from the Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative.
Undeveloped sections on the fifth and sixth floors of the MCC downtown campus on 321 State Street will be renovated to accommodate the 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art FWD Center. MCC conducted 22 focus groups with over 80 regional stakeholders and employers to determine the impact of new technologies on Finger Lakes businesses and the skills these employers most need in their workers.
The FWD Center is strategically designed and will not be fully built out at launch in order to support a variety of programs and allow for quick modification of the space to meet the specific needs of regional employers.
County Executive Adam Bello said, “With its focus on in-demand skills of today and tomorrow, the Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center will truly increase job opportunities for people living in Monroe County and the Finger Lakes region, make our existing businesses stronger, and help spur more investment in our economy and our people. This is an incredible investment in our community, and will be a critical part of rebuilding our local workforce and economy from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Additional partnerships are in development and will be announced next year. For more information, visit www.FWD-Center.com.
The full release is available here.
FAST FACTS on FWD CENTER
The FWD (Finger Lakes Workforce Development) Center, at 321 State St., will:
■ Occupy 50,000 square feet of flexible training space on the fifth and sixth floors of Monroe Community College’s Downtown Campus.
■ Serve the entire region, with a focus on the rapid training and retraining of technical middle-skill workers.
■ Link education and training with regional employers’ evolving workforce demands.
■ Adapt to the changing and emerging technologies that are driving the future of work within advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology, skilled trades, apprenticeships and professional services.
■ Increase the local pool of skilled technicians.
■ Focus on developing partnerships and joint ventures with regional workforce organizations, industry groups and educational institutions to increase opportunities for students to gain work-based learning.
Programs and services will include:
■ Skilled trades, apprenticeships and training in Industry 4.0, automation, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and smart technologies.
- New programs will cover fundamentals of automation, robotics, mechatronics as well as industry-focused smart and information technology.
- Among the technologies students will use in their learning are robots.
- Training for current workers and individualized training are available.
■ More short-term and accelerated training – both credit- and noncredit-bearing – linked to stackable credentials.
- It will enable learners to achieve credentials that they can build upon over time to move along a career pathway or up a career ladder.
- Cohort-based training allows students to go through a program together, building connections and support structures.
■ Job-placement assistance that puts program completers into some of the most in-demand industry sectors in the region.
■ Career exploration and counseling as requested.
■ Experiential learning opportunities in tech-oriented fields that offer college credits for early college high school students.
Design of FWD Center:
■ Flexible space will be created for labs related to robotics, mechatronics, augmented reality/virtual reality, smart factory/automation, and skilled trades as well as the Career and Education to Employment Services Center.
- The design allows the FWD Center to adapt to changing needs in the industry, including reconfiguring the space for short-term specialty training or expansion.
■ Classrooms will be designed to be flexible to a variety of pedagogies. Customizable configurations, varied sizes, and integrated technology give instructors flexibility in approach and engagement.
■ The design includes simulation labs that allow for real-world practice scenarios.
Project Partners:
■ Monroe County
■ Monroe Community College
■ LeChase Construction Services – construction manager
■ SWBR Architecture, Engineering & Landscape Architecture P.C. – lead architect
Project Budget:
■ $11.4 million from State University of New York and New York State
Project Timeline:
■ Summer 2021 ̶ Winter 2021
Construction phase
■ Spring 2022
Facility opening
Classes begin
Follow the Project’s Progress:
■ www.FWD-Center.com provides the college’s vision for the campus, a virtual tour of the space, an informational video about the facility, and a form to receive updates.