U.S. DOL Grant Helps BMCC Build New Pipeline to IT Jobs

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) as part of a CUNY consortium led by CUNY Central’s Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Program, received a four-year, $1.8 million grant from the United States Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) to create a CISCO training program that creates a pathway to the college’s associate degree program in Computer Information Systems.

BMCC’s funding is part of a total $5.8 consortium million grant from the U.S. DOL America’s Promise Job Driven Program to support tech-related career programs at BMCC as well as Kingsborough Community College and Queensborough Community College.  

Students who complete the BMCC program will receive ComptTIA A+ (Hardware) certification and CISCO CCNA (CISCO Certification Network Administration), as well as four credits toward an associate degree in Computer Information Systems (CIS).

The new program comes at a time when New York City has seen its technology and innovation sectors boom and as a result, demand for job-ready technical talent has ballooned. With 5,327 students throughout CUNY enrolled in 29 technology-related associate degree programs, CUNY community colleges have a rich and diverse pipeline of potential tech talent.

“We’re trying to close the skills gap with this program. A lot of our students show up with bare minimum requirements for good jobs, but this program will allow them to earn certifications that will enable them to move up the career ladder,” said Steve Nunez, Coordinator, Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development, BMCC.

The new BMCC funding will allow for two 25-student cohorts each year, for four years. Services will include a tech-related internship with vendor partners including Praxis Housing, Highstreet IT Solution and CompuForce. The project will also provide job placement services, such as “weekly career coaching, interview skills sessions, resume preparation, and other necessary components to land an internship or job,” said Nunez.

The program begins in January 2017. For more information, contact Jose Flores in the BMCC Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development, at (212) 346-8615.