Governor Cuomo Announces $5 Million Tech Training Fund and Inaugural Meeting of New York Tech Workforce Task Force
$5 Million Tech Training Fund Will Equip New Yorkers for 21st Century Tech Jobs Across the State
Task Force to Deliver Recommendations to Modernize K-12 and College Curricula,
Workforce and Economic Development Investments
First Meeting of New York Tech Workforce Task Force in April 2017
Coincides with “Making College Possible Coding Challenge”
Final Judging at Facebook New York
Photos from the Coding Challenge are Available
Here
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced decisive actions to advance
the tech economy and grow the State’s 21st century workforce. New York’s first Tech Training Fund will award
up to $5 million to tech training providers working to equip New Yorkers
for technology jobs across the state. The request for proposals process
will open next week. The Governor also announced the New York Tech Workforce
Task Force will convene in April 2017 to begin efforts to modernize K-12
and college curricula and deliver recommendations to realign workforce
efforts to meet the needs of the tech economy.
“The New York Tech Training Fund and Tech Workforce Task Force will
engage industry and academic leaders to help prepare New Yorkers for jobs
in the ever-growing tech field and guarantee that New York remains at
the forefront of the innovation economy,"
Governor Cuomo said. "The strength of our economy depends on the strength of our workers,
and by ensuring that our workforce is equipped with the skills and opportunities
to succeed, we are building a stronger, more prosperous state for generations
to come."
The Training Fund, which will disburse $5 million to eligible training
providers through the RFP process, will support innovative technology
training and education solutions throughout the state. The request for
proposals process is now open. In April, the Governor will convene industry
leaders to define education and workforce needs and issue recommendations
to better prepare New Yorkers at all levels—K-12, higher education,
and workforce—for 21st century jobs.
These announcements are in conjunction with the final judging of the “Making
College Possible Coding Challenge,” which invited students from
SUNY and CUNY schools to build a mobile app or website to share information
about the Excelsior Scholarship, Governor Cuomo's first-in-the-nation
proposal to make public college tuition-free for New York's working-
and middle-class families. At the judging, Director of Operations James
S. Rubin announced Team Knight from Queens College as the winner for their
project titled “A Better Tomorrow”.
“New York’s innovation economy is bigger and better than ever
before, with cutting-edge companies looking to New York State as the place
to grow their business,”
said Empire State Development CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “This sector is booming because of our investments in STEM education
and workforce development, which provide New Yorkers with the tools and
skills they need to enter the ever-evolving tech industry. The New York
Tech Training Fund and Tech Workforce Task Force build on those investments
and will support the next generation of innovators as they change the
face of tech with bold new ideas that lead to even bigger growth.”
“The jobs of the future demand a prepared and qualified workforce,”
said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s leadership, more workers than ever
before will become job-ready, allowing them to participate in the exciting
expansion of new industries we’re seeing statewide.”
"New York's tech economy is growing at an extraordinary pace,
and with this growth comes great opportunity for our people and our communities
alike,"
Chief Technology & Innovation Officer Kristen Titus said. "Governor Cuomo's investments in 21st century training and education
programs will equip New York's workforce with the skills and opportunities
to succeed and ensure New York's businesses are built to lead in today's
innovation economy. Together, we are investing in a stronger, more innovative
future for New York."
New York Tech Workforce Training Fund
The burgeoning tech economy in New York State has created a wide variety of 21st century jobs. However, due to a lack of access to educational opportunities
and quality training, those jobs are out of reach for many New Yorkers.
With this $5 million investment, Governor Cuomo’s Tech Workforce
Training Fund will enable new pathways for New Yorkers across the state
to get training and connections to employment in the state’s fastest
growing, highest paying sector.
Governor Cuomo has long worked to increase the number of workforce development
programs that will lead New Yorkers to gainful employment. In 2016, the
Governor’s State of the State outlined a $3 million Training Fund
that responded to businesses’ needs of a workforce trained for middle
skill jobs.
The Request for Proposals is posted
here
New York Tech Workforce Task Force
The inaugural meeting of the New York Tech Workforce Task Force will convene
in April 2017 and launch efforts to modernize K-12 curriculum, 2- and
4-year academic programs, and workforce and economic development investments
across the state, ensuring their continued alignment with 21st century
workforce demands.
The New York Tech Workforce Task Force, a body of industry experts, academic
leaders, and state officials, will deliver recommendations to modernize
curricula at education institutions, create a more effective workforce
training system for technology occupations in high demand, and lay a foundation
for a workforce strategy that is responsive to the ever-changing technology
workforce needs. Its work will engage industry leaders in defining workforce
needs, building the localized training and education solutions to meet
these needs, and informing workforce investments and educational alignment
efforts statewide.
The Task Force will include four Task Force subcommittees focused on each
area of specialization: K-12 Education, Higher Education, Workforce, and
Economic Development. The Task Force will convene quarterly.
Making College Possible Coding Challenge
As part of the final judging, five challenge finalists pitched their products
to a panel of New York’s business and technology leaders, who selected
the winning submission: Team Knight from Queens College. Judges included:
- Neil Blumenthal, CEO & Co-Founder of Warby Parker
- Jeanne Jang, Director of the IBM Innovation Lab
- Jeff Reynar, Engineering Director, Facebook New York
- Judith Spitz, Ph.D., Founding Program Director, Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in New York, and former Chief Information Officer, Verizon
More than 70 teams representing more than 370 students participated in
the “Making College Possible Coding Challenge.” The five finalist
teams were selected to advance to the final judging and pitch session,
and each final team received $2,000 furnished by the SUNY and CUNY systems.
The five finalist teams that presented today and their colleges are:
- Collegium - SUNY Albany
- Campus Hive - SUNY Fredonia and Alfred State
- Team Chepang - Stony Brook University
- Fast Pass - Queens College
- Team Knight - Queens College