SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed creating an education and workforce training center to meet science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) job demand in Syracuse.
The multipurpose facility will house a regional high school and a worker training and apprenticeship program administered by SUNY Empire State College and in partnership with other local colleges and universities.
The idea was announced as the 31st proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda.
“This new high school of applied learning and workforce training program will create a pipeline of educated, highly skilled workers who are equipped to tackle jobs of the 21st century that are driven by technology and are growing in the region,” Cuomo said.
The new school will be housed at the downtown building that was previously home to Central High School. Known as the Greystone building, it was last used as a school in 1976, Cuomo’s office said. It will require renovation work prior to its new use.
About the project
His office says Cuomo will create the state’s first regional high school to prepare high-school students in the Syracuse region for 21st century industry careers. Students will focus on a skills-oriented education targeting emerging technologies, project-based learning, and collaboration.
The school will provide specialized educational opportunities for 9th through 12th graders residing in the city of Syracuse, the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services region, and the rest of Central New York. It will ultimately serve about 1,000 students, with 250 students per grade.
Local colleges, including Syracuse University, Le Moyne College, and Onondaga Community College, will develop the curriculum.
Cuomo’s proposal would also create a new workforce-training program that will offer high-school equivalency, advanced technical certification, and college degrees. The program will prepare school graduates and any member of the community to enter emerging sectors by training them in applicable skills in advanced technology gained through apprenticeships with businesses across Central New York.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com