Congressionally Directed Spending Secured By The Senators Will Boost Manufacturing Programs At RPI, Siena College & HVCC, Upgrade Healthcare Infrastructure For Ellis Hospital & Albany Med, And More
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced they have secured $3,822,000 for critical local projects across the Capital Region in the FY2024 spending bill. This funding will provide vital resources for important local projects that address various issues, ranging from workforce manufacturing training, to helping RPI add state-of-the-art equipment at its Center for Robotic Manufacturing Systems, to bolstering Siena College’s science complex, to improving healthcare infrastructure for Albany Med and Ellis Hospital, and adding a new maintenance technician school at the Albany International Airport through Hudson Valley Community College.
“This nearly $4 million in federal funding makes vital investments in the Capital Region’s top-notch educational institutions, helping give students the equipment and hands-on training they need – whether it is at RPI’s cutting-edge robotics lab or HVCC’s maintenance school at Albany Airport – to ensure Capital Region residents get the skills they need for in-demand careers,” said Senator Schumer. “This funding will also give a shot in the arm to our local healthcare systems, helping institutions like Albany Med and Ellis Hospital boost their infrastructure to better serve patients. I am proud to have fought hard for this major investment for these critical local project projects and I will always fight to deliver for workers and families in in the Capital Region so they have the federal support they need to thrive.”
“This nearly $4 million in federal funding will provide support for vital local projects that will boost the quality of life for Capital Region residents,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This funding will help address a wide range of issues, from expanding workforce training to improving mental health services to expanding STEM education. I’m proud to have fought to secure this funding, and I’ll continue to work tirelessly to make sure Capital Region families, workers, and students have what they need to thrive.”
The senators personally secured funding for these projects as congressionally directed spending requests, including:
$1,000,000 for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to Establish the Center for Robotic Manufacturing Systems:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will use the funding to install state-of-the-art equipment and sensing instrumentation to establish the Center for Robotic Manufacturing Systems, which will enable New York State and the Capital District to be the focal point for research, training, and regional engagement activities related to advanced robotic manufacturing. The center will serve as an incubator environment for testing new robotic manufacturing systems and technology, leading to the establishment of new start-up and entrepreneurship ventures supported by RPI’s Severino Center for Technical Entrepreneurship. The Center’s workforce training activities in manufacturing robotics will aim to (i) train RPI undergraduate and graduate students, (ii) partner with Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) and other local community colleges for technical education, (iii) work with local partner companies for training employees and workers, and (iv) provide upskilling opportunities for the current manufacturing workforce through short training modules.
$1,000,0000 for Siena College To Purchase Equipment for New Science Complex:
Siena College will use the funds to build out the pipeline for future STEM workforce in Upstate NY by increasing enrollment, supporting middle and high school students, and expanding professional development opportunities. With the enhanced science space on campus comes the need for updated technology and state-of-the-art equipment that will allow us to educate and support a higher number of STEM majors, ultimately resulting in an expanded STEM workforce in upstate New York in growing fields such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, applied physics/engineering, web development, data science, forensic science, biomedical research, allied health professions and more. With this funding for new equipment and administrative costs, the College could expand by 20 percent the enrollment in the on-campus summer camps Siena currently offers and funds, and increase participation by 50 percent in college credit-bearing classes in physics and computer science for high schoolers.
$500,000 for Ellis Hospital to Upgrade Inpatient Mental Health Units
The funds will be used to bring Ellis Hospital’s inpatient mental health services up to CMS and DOH facility standards to ensure the units remain operational and can continue to provide needed care to adults and adolescents in our community and beyond.
$500,000 for Hudson Valley Community College to establish the Aeronautical Technology Institute
Hudson Valley Community College will use the funds to establish a new FAA approved aviation maintenance technician school at the Albany International Airport in Colonie, New York. The funding will provide low-income student scholarships, and allow the school acquire additional state-of-the-art aviation equipment and supplies necessary to deliver federally-certified aircraft mechanic training at the Albany International Airport (ALB). The HVCC Aeronautical Technology Institute (ATI) will also provide critical support to the regional aviation maintenance workforce demand.
$500,000 for Albany Med Health System To Implement An Electronic Record System
The funds will be used to modernize and integrate system-wide health information technology infrastructure to improve health care delivery and patient outcomes.
$322,000 for FuzeHub, Inc. To Deploy Its Equity in Manufacturing Innovation Program
FuzeHub will deploy an “Equity in Manufacturing Innovation” program across three Upstate NY regions (Central NY, North Country, Southern Tier), convening a tailored set of training and technical assistance resources to support 30 manufacturing entrepreneurs from populations that have historically been excluded from the innovation ecosystem. This would include programs like entrepreneurial training, technical assistance, providing the entrepreneurs with free or subsidized access to prototyping equipment and services, matching the entrepreneurs with mentors, and more.