Alfred State Grant Part of $2.6 Million Green Workforce Development Grant Program to Help Students Pursue Jobs in Clean Energy and Sustainability
Alfred, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today visited Alfred State and celebrated the $284,910 grant to the campus from SUNY’s Green Workforce Grant program, funded by Governor Kathy Hochul’s SUNY Transformation Fund. Alfred State is part of a $2.6 million statewide initiative to help more students pursue clean energy jobs through academic programs and state-of-the art training. The grant is part of SUNY’s ongoing efforts to help develop a skilled green workforce, one of its goals within its Climate and Sustainability Action Plan as New York State moves to use more clean energy sources.
As more consumers buy electric vehicles (EVs), New York will need technicians who understand that technology and can install supporting infrastructure such as EV chargers. Alfred State will be using grant funding to prepare the EV workforce of tomorrow as the college invests more in equipment, training programs, and curricular review. Alfred State will use the grant funds to further enhance and expand hands-on opportunities to provide students with in-depth training for the growing electric vehicle industry.
“SUNY is at the forefront of helping New York State mitigate the long-term impacts of climate change and grow our clean energy economy,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “The investments made by Governor Hochul and state leaders in the SUNY Transformation Fund mean that Alfred State will be well-positioned to serve as leader in this rapidly growing clean energy economy, all while advancing upward mobility in this region and all of New York State.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “SUNY’s Green Workforce Development Grants will help ensure Alfred State is equipped to provide more SUNY students with the education, skills, and training they will need to join the green workforce and secure clean energy jobs. We thank Governor Hochul for her long-term vision on how to build a cleaner, greener state economy, and are proud that SUNY is leading the way to make that ambitious goal into reality.”
Alfred State President Steven Mauro said, “We are extremely grateful for Governor Hochul’s SUNY Transformation Fund in its support of our Green Workforce Grant that will allow us to add more equipment and provide the industry with more of our career-ready graduates. There is high workforce demand for technicians with EV expertise, and both current and prospective students have shown a peaked interest in our cutaway electric vehicle that strips away the car’s body to show them what is driving automotive innovation.”
State Senator Tom O’Mara said, “These state investments are timely and important to offer students at Alfred State and at colleges and universities throughout New York opportunities to pursue these quality jobs and promising careers. The focus on education and technical training is vital to the development and growth of the highly skilled and trained workforce that will continue to strengthen New York State’s position as a leader in the clean energy economy.”
State Assemblymember Joe Sempolinski said, “As a member of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, I am very excited that Chancellor King made time in his busy schedule to visit the Alfred State campus. I also want to thank Chancellor King and his team at SUNY for investing in Alfred State as the college prepares SUNY Alfred students to join the workforce of tomorrow in emerging technology fields.”
Additional information on the other campuses selected for SUNY Transformation Fund grants and their focus areas can be found here.
