BIZ Secures $28K in Grants for Local Workforce Training
Over 50 employees at two local businesses will be able to upgrade their skills and improve their job performance, thanks to more than $28,000 worth of grants Tompkins Cortland Community College secured from the SUNY Community College Workforce Development Training program. Stork H&E Turbo Blading of Ithaca and Pyrotek of Cortland will benefit from this round of grants, which are designed to provide workforce development training programs that support the creation and retention of employment opportunities in the state and local community. The training for the local organizations is done by BIZ, the College’s home for continuing education and workforce development. BIZ offers training programs both for individuals seeking to develop skills and for companies seeking customized training solutions in a variety of areas, including manufacturing, leadership, technology, and customer service.
The College has provided training for more than 10,000 workers in the community thanks to SUNY Workforce Development Grants in the past. To secure the grants, Director of Continuing Education and Workforce Development Carrie Whitmore works with local organizations to design training programs that address critical business needs. "This is one of the ways we can work with organizations in the community,” said Whitmore. “Working together, we identify skill gaps and determine needs, and then customize training programs to address those needs. These SUNY grants provide part of the total costs for the training, meaning the workers get the education needed for the organization to thrive, and at a fraction of what it normally would cost. The SUNY Workforce Grants help these organizations remain vital in our community."
The training at Pyrotek will be in blueprint reading, and will involve 12 workers. Geometric Dimension and Tolerancing (GD&T) training be provided to 40 workers at Stork.
More information on customized training, non-credit professional development workshops, and grant funding is available by contacting BIZ at 607.844.6586 or biz@tompkinscortland.edu.