December, 2017: NCC Receives $100,000 Grant for URGENT Utilities Career-Training Program

NEWS RELEASE

Immediate:  December 18, 2017

Nassau Community College Free Utilities Career Training Program Receives $100,000 Grant Regional Economic Development Council Grant

College Will Now be Able to Offer Career Training to Veterans as Well as Women

Garden City, NY — Nassau Community College is pleased to announce that it has received a $100,000 Regional Economic Development Council grant from the New York State Department of Labor's Unemployed Working Training Fund for its innovative URGENT (Utility Readiness for Gaining Employment for Non-Traditionals) program.

URGENT was launched in Spring 2017 by NCC's Office of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning in partnership with the region's major public and private utilities. It was a program directed to women to assist them into the male-dominated utilities industry. Participants attended 142 hours of classroom instruction, on-site visits and workshops for field positions in the utility sector at no cost. Twenty-one graduates earned two industry certifications: Energy Industry Fundamentals (EIF) and OSHA 10.

According to Dr. Janet Caruso, "We are very honored to be awarded this grant. It means that we will now be able to offer two cohorts of the URGENT program — one for women and another for veterans. I am excited to begin planning this new section with our partners as we strive to improve upon our first successful program."

NCC President Dr. W. Hubert Keen noted, "The URGENT program has been a spectacular success and has provided the training and tools necessary for the women students to start a career, to help bootstrap their families into the middle class, and provide well-trained workers for our public utilities. It is a great opportunity for the women and a boost to the utility's workforce." Dr. Keen added, "The Long Island Regional Economic Development Council has recognized this stellar program which will enable Nassau Community College to expand its training to women and veterans in Spring 2018. The dual goals of the College's mission to help the community beyond its campus and the industries of Long Island have been achieved in this program. We look forward to expanding our footprint in the area of workforce development with successful programs like these.

"URGENT: Women was made possible by NCC's Center for Workforce Development, the Workforce Development Institute, PSEGLI, National Grid, NY American Water, the Town of Hempstead and the Town of Oyster Bay Workforce Development Boards; and the Nassau County Department of Social Services.

For more information about this free career-training program, call 516.572.7487 or email cwd@ncc.edu.

Media Contact
Alicia Steger 516.572.9634; alicia.steger@ncc.eduncc.edu/newsreleases

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About Nassau Community College Nassau Community College, part of The State University of New York, is an institution where almost 20,000 full- and part-time students and approximately 10,000 continuing and professional students start and continue their successful journey through higher education. More than 70 fields of study are offered on a 225-acre campus located in the center of Long Island. As the largest single-campus two-year college in New York State, Nassau Community College maintains a national reputation for excellence. Visit www.ncc.edu for more information.