BMCC Receivess $750,000 Grant from Department of Labor to Assess Employer Skill Needs
10/04/00
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) has received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor under the JTPA initiative to assess employer skill needs for workers in New York City»s high tech industry. The college will also lead efforts to determine the gap between those needs and the skills available in the regional workforce and to develop a concrete action plan to train workers to fill the identified skills gaps.
“New York City»s economy is burgeoning, in part because of the rapid growth of çnew media» and telecommunications companies,” explained Rodney Alexander, executive director of the college»s Institute for Business Trends Analysis, who is directing the coalition»s efforts. However, companies can»t fill all the positions they need. “At the same time, many New York City residents are unable to take advantage of these opportunities because they lack the necessary education and skills,” he continued.
Unique initiative in New York City
The workforce-skills initiative, which is unique in New York City, seeks to address that problem. Analysts at Borough of Manhattan Community College are conducting research and labor market studies about employer skills needs and economic trends affecting industry. The Institute of Business Trends Analysis plans a series of reports identifying the skills needed to fill the existing gap. Mr. Alexander expects to publish the first report in December.
Under Alexander»s leadership, the Institute will convene a consortium of secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, governmental agencies, unions, professional associations and private industry to assess employer skill needs and develop a strategic plan to train New York City workers to fill the identified skills gaps.
BMCC will develop training programs for the high tech industry
The consortium will refer companies to the Work Keys Center at BMCC, which profiles the skills necessary to perform a certain job and then assesses the proficiency of individual employees in those jobs. BMCC»s Division of Adult and Continuing Education will test suitable training programs, which are responsive to the needs of high tech employers.
In addition, the Institute will develop a web site to report the results of the consortium»s efforts to companies, training vendors, educational institutions. “We expect that colleges and schools will use this research to make sure that their technology curricula accurately reflect current and future job needs,” explained Alexander.
