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Albany apprenticeship program receives funding to train workers for renewable energy industry

An Albany-based program that recruits and trains workers for unionized construction apprenticeships received a financial boost Wednesday.

New York Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado joined Sunrise Wind, the Center for Economic Growth and The Greater Capital Region Building & Construction Trades Council to announce a $300,000 investment in the Multi-Craft Apprenticeship Preparation Program. Founded in Rochester, the program recently began operations in Albany’s South End neighborhood.

"The value of this program is priceless," Delgado said. "And what it can do for communities and families. You can't put a price tag on that."

The Democrat says the program, known as M.A.P.P., aims to put workers on a career track in construction in the clean energy sector.

"We're here to celebrate a significant investment in the people, in the people, of Albany’s South End, said Delgado. "I say it's an investment in people, because the funding announced today will be used to recruit and train individuals from the South End for unionized construction apprenticeships. Specifically, I'm going to lay this out, I think it's important for folks to understand, the investment will fund M.A.P.P., a program that aims to recruit low-income and workers of color from the Capital Region, providing a path to family-sustaining careers, while bringing more diversity to the building trades. The new funding will cover pay, training, emergency financial needs for program participants in close partnership with the Greater Capital Region Building and Construction Council. M.A.P.P. offers qualified, interested candidates an opportunity to gain training and experience that will enable them to successfully navigate a union construction apprenticeship program.”

Funding comes from the $1 million Upper Hudson Workforce Development Fund created by the Sunrise Wind project, a proposed wind farm off Long Island. Project components are expected to be built in the Capital Region. The new funding will cover pay, training and emergency financial needs for 15-20 participants who enroll in 2022 and another 15-20 in 2023.

Congressman Paul Tonko, a Democrat, hailed Albany's presence in offshore wind development as a golden opportunity for creating jobs, strengthening the economy and providing for a sounder stewardship of the planet.

“What's so important about M.A.P.P. is that it will make certain that from its pool of individuals of color, of women, of those living in low-income situations, they will be that pool of recruits that will find their way into this career path," Tonko said. "This is in keeping with the agenda from the Biden administration, making certain our investments in a clean energy innovation economy, reaching into every neighborhood, every community in this country. And for those who have been passed by for far too long, that will change. Because we're going to put a commitment to those who will prosper from this effort. That is in accordance with the agenda from President Biden and Vice President Harris.”

Officials say the Sunrise Wind Project is investing more than $400 million in New York to grow U.S. offshore wind. They expect the initiative will create more than 800 jobs and incentivize thousands more, while providing clean energy for 600,000 homes.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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