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MCC Daily Tribune

Governor Hochul Awards $13.7 Million to Support Education Workforce Training Programs

Programs Expand or Develop New Education Workforce Programs Across SUNY and CUNY Campuses and Independent Colleges and Universities

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $13.7 million in Workforce Development Awards has been allocated to 12 State University of New York, City University of New York, and private colleges and universities as part of the Education Workforce Investment. Through two programs – the Alternative Teacher Certification Program and the Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program – New York State will expand opportunities for students interested in becoming educators. 

“We have a responsibility to ensure our future teachers and paraprofessionals are ready to educate and support the next generation of New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “Through this funding for workforce development programs, we are investing in our educators and creating pathways for our students to pursue a career in the education field.”

Eight grants totaling $9.5 million was awarded under the Alternative Teacher Certification Program and $4.2 million was awarded under the Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program. The grant funding will be used to support projects over the next four years. 

The Alternative Teacher Certification Program is a pathway to the teaching profession that may help reduce time and cost barriers for candidates interested in a teaching career. This program provides funding to expand existing alternative teacher certification programs or develop and implement new high-quality, research-based, graduate-level alternative teacher certification programs.

The Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program is for teaching assistants and paraprofessionals who are an essential part of the teacher pipeline given their prior classroom experience and strong connections to the communities they serve. This program provides funding to expand existing programs or to develop and implement new programs that recruit and support teaching assistants and paraprofessionals in obtaining initial teacher certification through a registered baccalaureate-level teacher education program. 

The awardees for the two grants are: 

Alternative Teacher Certification Program

  • Adelphi University 
  • Bank Street Graduate School of Education 
  • Brooklyn College, CUNY 
  • SUNY Cortland 
  • Fordham University 
  • Hunter College, CUNY 
  • Manhattanville College
  • Utica University 

Upskilling Paraprofessionals Program

  • SUNY Cortland 
  • Empire State University, SUNY 
  • Medgar Evers College, CUNY
  • York College, CUNY

SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. said, “As New York State’s largest teacher education provider, SUNY is dedicated to preparing the next generation of educators who will inspire students to pursue their dreams. We need more New Yorkers to join the ranks of our teaching profession and thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul, these workforce development grants will have a significant impact on expanding our programs to prepare more excellent diverse future educators.”

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “Nearly a quarter of New York State’s classroom teachers hold a CUNY degree, and we are pleased to be able to add these needed programs to further strengthen and diversify our state’s education workforce and expand cost-effective alternative pathways into the field. Educators, including paraprofessionals and teaching assistants, are quiet heroes who help boost academic outcomes. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for these Workforce Development Awards, which will enable CUNY to prepare more graduates to excel in this ever-important space.”

The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities President Lola W. Brabham said, “New York’s Independent Sector of Higher Education looks forward to working with Governor Hochul and our colleagues in the public sector to expand programs and develop solutions to address the critical teacher shortage in New York State, as our member institutions graduate 55 percent of the state’s teachers. We applaud the Governor’s leadership and greatly appreciate the support as our campuses recruit and educate the next generation of teachers.” 

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023, is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit SUNY's website (suny.edu).

Patrick Morris
Community Relations
04/09/2024