Governor Cuomo Announces 32nd Proposal of the 2020 State of the State: Expanding New York's $175 Million Workforce Development Initiative to Meet Emerging Job Demand

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today unveiled the 32nd proposal of his 2020 State of the State: expanding on New York's historic $175 million Workforce Development Initiative to meet emerging job demand. The Governor put forward a series of plans, including new workforce training centers and programs that will retrain and prepare people for new jobs. By expanding the Workforce Development Initiative to target emerging industries, the State will ensure that employers are able to find and hire qualified workers with in-demand skills in New York.

"This aggressive, all-encompassing approach to workforce training will bolster New York's groundbreaking Workforce Development Initiative by helping to ensure workers have the skills they need to compete and succeed in emerging industries that are quickly developing across our state," Governor Cuomo said. "With private sector employment at an all-time high, New York must continue to invest in its workforce and make certain that our workers have the necessary skills to work in a rapidly-changing economy."

Governor Cuomo has made New York a national leader in ensuring access to high-quality jobs through the historic $175 million Workforce Development Initiative, providing funding to train more than 3,000 New Yorkers with in-demand skills to date. In addition, the Governor has invested $430 million this year alone into career and technical education programs, including apprenticeships and the state's nation-leading P-Tech/Early College High School training programs.

With private sector employment at a record high of 8.3 million, New York must continue to invest in upskilling and closing the skills gap as the economy continues to change at a record pace. The number of jobs estimated to be altered through workforce automation is estimated at over 4.8 million by 2037. This changing economy creates an opportunity for retraining and preparing people for new jobs that include clean energy jobs like technicians in both wind turbine technicians and solar energy, health care, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing.

The Governor will build on his $175 million Workforce Development Initiative to meet emerging job demand by:

Expanding Placed-Based Workforce Development in Underserved Communities by Creating New Future of Work Centers

With unemployment at historic lows across many parts of New York, state employers are increasingly looking for more nimble ways to ensure they have employees with in-demand skills.  To address this challenge, Governor Cuomo will build on the success of the Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo and the newly announced Workforce Training Center in Syracuse, and establish two additional, nation-leading Future of Work Centers.   

These Future of Work Centers will partner with the private sector, community-based organizations, and the SUNY and CUNY systems to engage local employers and industry associations to provide training needed through current degree programs, or by creating new short-term, non-degree credential and micro-credential programs to quickly address employer skill needs, both for existing workers and new workers. 

The two new Future of Work Centers will be chosen by fall 2020 and sited by 2021.

Expanding Apprenticeships Across the State 

Governor Cuomo made a bold commitment in 2019 to double both apprenticeships in high-growth fields and the number of women in apprenticeships by 2025. To meet that goal, New York has directed $25 million to dramatically grow apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs over the past three years through SUNY, CUNY and the New York State Department of Labor. The State also established the Empire State Apprenticeship Tax Credit. These efforts have resulted in more than 300 new Registered Apprenticeship Programs being created over the past three years.  

To ensure apprenticeship opportunities continue to meet the needs of both New York's businesses and New York's underserved communities, New York State will invest $14 million into expanding apprenticeship opportunities across the state. The Governor's Office of Workforce Development and the New York State Department of Labor, SUNY and CUNY will utilize the Regional Economic Development Council workforce plans in making program decisions.    

Expanding Early College High School Training Programs 

Under the P-Tech Early College High School programs, students receive a High School Diploma and an Associate's Degree with a specialization. They are then first in line for jobs in the industry where they have worked or studied. Building on $60 million invested since 2013, the Governor will propose an increase that will enable the creation of up to 12 additional P-techs, a more than 30% increase.

Addressing Emerging Demand in The Green Economy by Creating Industry-Driven Green Jobs Training Programs 

With nearly 160,000 clean energy jobs across the state and 8.9 percent clean job growth since 2016, which is double the statewide average, the State's nation-leading climate policies are attracting private-sector investment and spurring business creation. New York State is a leader in nearly every green jobs sector, ranking 3rd among states in jobs for solar,3rd for energy efficiency, 9th for advanced transportation, 10th for wind and 4th overall. Last year, Governor Cuomo took another major step forward by concluding agreements for two offshore wind farms that will create more than 1,600 jobs, with construction, assembly and maintenance facilities expected to come to the Capital Region, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Long Island. Notably, many entry and mid-level clean energy occupations enjoy significantly greater wage premiums compared to workers in other sectors - 32 percent and 12 percent respectively.

To address the need for an energy workforce and provide opportunity for New Yorkers across the state, New York will:

Invest an Additional $40 Million, Totaling an Investment of $100 Million, Over The Next Five Years to Train 40,000 Clean Energy Workers:

• NYSERDA, in concert with the Governor's Office of Workforce Development, will build partnerships with the clean energy industry to ensure that workers are not only trained but placed in jobs through on-the-job training for new workers, supporting internships and career pathway initiatives.  
• NYSERDA will work with community-based organizations across the state to ensure this industry-driven training engages veterans and other priority groups to support a fair transition to a clean energy economy.

Expand Statewide Auto Tech Training Task Force to Include Training for Electric Vehicles:

• Governor Cuomo created the Excelsior Automotive Technician Task Force to address the severe shortage of auto technicians and provide quality career opportunities for New Yorkers. Working closely with automobile dealers, automotive technicians and the state's public colleges, the Task Force will now include training for electric vehicles in the next year.
• Thirteen public colleges in New York that have automotive programs will enroll at least one instructor in Hudson Valley Community College's five-day Electric Vehicle Train The Trainer Program. 
• The course will allow participating instructors to train automotive technicians in their home regions, including fleet mechanics of state agencies, local municipalities and transit authorities on the basics of EV operation and repair applied to a variety of vehicles. 
• When fully implemented, this program will be capable of training up to 2,000 students annually, and students and technicians in every region will be able to learn from EV experts at a local facility each year. 

Launch The New Offshore Wind Training Institute on Long Island at SUNY Stony Brook and Farmingdale:

• In addition, SUNY's Farmingdale State College and Stony Brook University campuses will formally solicit partners for its $20 million Offshore Wind Training Institute, so that training of 2,500 New Yorkers can begin in 2021, when the industry is expected to need a significant number of new, skilled employees.  

Create The Solar Energy Corps to Train Young New Yorkers to Build Solar Energy Arrays and Install Solar Energy Equipment at State Park and DEC Facilities:

• The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Department of Environmental Conservation program's combined course work and on-the-job training will be designed in partnership with industry leaders to help ensure that SEC participants are ready to work in either the public or private sector.