Washington, D.C. – New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will meet with Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) President Bill Destler today to discuss the school’s plans to expand research and create good-paying jobs in Rochester.
“My number one priority is to create jobs for New York and get our economy back on track,” Senator Gillibrand said. “By supporting world-class research institutions like RIT, we can drive innovation and create good-paying jobs. This will ensure the long term growth of this region’s economy.
RIT is one of the best institutions in New York and the country for translating a first-rate education into first-rate jobs in high-tech industries. In 2008, more than 3,600 active RIT students were able to secure paid-internships in a broad range of industries across the country and the world.
“The Rochester/Finger Lakes region has been hit hard by the economic downturn,” Senator Gillibrand said. “We need to get New Yorkers back to work today, but we also need to make smart investments in the long-term economic development of the region. By supporting research and education we can fuel our economy in the long term.”
Last month, Senator Gillibrand voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Experts estimate that the recovery package will save or create 215,000 new jobs in New York in the areas of construction, technology, and energy production.
The Recovery Act will invest $27.5 billion to improve the nation’s roads and bridges – nearly $1.1 billion of which will go to New York State. In total, the recovery plan includes over $60 billion for modernizing traditional infrastructure such as sewers and drinking water projects, in addition to roads, bridges and airports. The plan goes further, by providing almost $160 billion for non-traditional infrastructure from health care technology to development of renewable sources of energy.