OCC to lead community colleges in health-care training initiative

ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Onondaga Community College (OCC) will lead a group of 10 community colleges in a project to expand workforce-development programs to strengthen the health-care workforce in the upstate New York region,

The initiative will help underserved individuals get the skills they need to enter these good-paying careers that are in demand across New York.”

The colleges will work in partnership with leading workforce-development agencies, health-care industry leaders, unions, and other community partners in a project called the Community College Health CARES Consortium. CARES is short for Career, Acceleration, Retention + Employment Support. 

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded $5 million to expand health-care education programs, close opportunity gaps, and increase access to good-paying, in-demand health-care careers across New York state. 

The funding comes from the department’s Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants program, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) announced Sept. 15. 

“Health-care providers across the state are struggling to find enough workers to meet the demand for services, but this funding will help students and job seekers get the skills they need to enter better paying careers and give back to the community. This funding will go a long way to filling health-care jobs in the areas that need them most and will strengthen upstate New York’s medical workforce for years to come,” Schumer said.

Specifically, this funding will allow OCC to lead SUNY Broome, Corning, Cayuga, Genesee, Herkimer, Jamestown, Jefferson, North Country, Schenectady, and Tompkins Cortland Community Colleges to expand their health-care training programs. 

It’ll be done in partnership with top regional health-care employers such as Upstate Medical University, United Health Services, Arnot Health, Cayuga Medical, Lourdes, Samaritan Medical Center, “and many others,” per Schumer’s office.

“We are extremely grateful to Senator and Senator Gillibrand for their support of Onondaga Community College and their understanding of our mission as Central New York’s partner in education for success,” Warren Hilton, president of OCC, said. “In our School of Health, we are creating programs which will train students for good-paying jobs in the shortest time possible. Their success in the classroom will both satisfy significant workforce needs and give our students an entry point to a rewarding career and ultimately a better life. Moreover, the broad reach of this project will allow OCC and ten other collaborating community colleges to bring these benefits to individuals and communities across New York State.”