Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced her support for the CapNY Coalition for Good Jobs’ application for federal funding under the Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge. The Good Jobs Challenge, part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, helps create and implement industry-driven training programs in order to connect unemployed, underemployed, or under-skilled workers to existing and emerging job openings and train workers with the skills to secure quality jobs. The CapNY Coalition for Good Jobs’ project, Good Jobs for CapNY (GJCNY), aims to serve 2,500 individuals in the Capital Region, focusing on four regionally significant industries: advanced manufacturing, health care, IT and business, and construction and trades.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has put too many New Yorkers out of work,” said Senator Gillibrand. “As we continue to recover, we must invest in New York’s workers and ensure that no one is left behind. The CapNY Coalition for Good Jobs’ project would do just that – offering job placement and customized training as well as wraparound services in order to strengthen the Capital Region’s workforce and secure good-paying jobs for hundreds of workers. I strongly support GJCNY’s application for federal funding and urge the Economic Development Administration to grant it full consideration.”
“The Center for Economic Growth’s application to the EDA Good Jobs Challenge Grant, developed as a coalition with Capital Region community colleges and workforce development partners, creates a more dynamic, collaborative, and equitable system that prioritizes training and access to quality jobs,” said Katie Newcombe, the Chief Economic Development Officer for the Center for Economic Growth. “Funding from the EDA is critical to help expand community services, deepen employer partnerships, strengthen skills-based training, and provide coordinated support to individuals in their effort toward self-sustainability.”
With the Center for Economic Growth acting as the System Lead Entity for GJCNY, four sectoral leads will be responsible for direct training. Sector leads are Hudson Valley Community College (manufacturing), SUNY Schenectady County Community College (health care), SUNY Adirondack (IT), and the Greater Capital Region Building and Construction Trades Council (construction). The following local partners will also offer crucial social services to bridge any gaps between training and jobs, ensuring a person-centered workforce: Capital Region Workforce Development Board, Saratoga Warren Washington Workforce Development Board, Healthy Alliance Inc., Workforce Development Institute, Capital District Regional Planning Commission, Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, Capital Region Employer Resource Network, and Our Ability.