A new scholarship at Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh will provide full scholarships for at least 40 students at its Institute for Advanced Manufacturing.
The college, along with the North Country Workforce Partnership and the North Country Chamber’s North American Center of Excellence for Transportation Equipment, announced the new scholarship program on Tuesday.
Workforce Partnership and North Country Workforce Development Board Executive Director Sylvie Nelson said the new scholarship is important to both prospective students and employers.
“We’re unveiling a scholarship that will enable individuals in our region, and also throughout New York state," explained Nelson, "to earn a microcredential in advanced manufacturing from Clinton Community College at no cost to them. And this is also another way for us to address the need of employers in our region specifically the lack of workforce and this scholarship is part of the long-term solution to bring training to individuals who want to contribute their skills to our employers.”
The scholarship was created through a partnership between the college, CVTEC, NAmTRANS, the North Country Chamber, Rep. Elise Stefanik’s office, and Xometry, a company which describes itself as a “digital marketplace connecting enterprise buyers with suppliers of manufacturing services...”
Clinton Community College President Dr. John Kowal said partnership and resulting scholarships reflect the mission and strategic plan to provide students with pathways to careers.
“The training is designed really in a very flexible mode, which is something we take pride in being able to do." Kowal continued, "The hands-on experiences will be basically in tool usage, machinery, safety, those key concepts that are so important for machinists. That’ll be done here, right here, in place. And then the rest is delivered on line. It’s these skills-based knowledge that’ll be delivered online, again, in a flexible way so it’s for the convenience of the participants.”
The scholarships are privately funded by Xometry. Co-founder Laurence Zuriff said the U.S. needs to rebuild its manufacturing base to maintain its global competitiveness.
“Improving technology and fostering the skills needed to accelerate innovation and productivity are essential to success. Manufacturing was and is the most hi-tech industry globally and the foundation of our economy. The next generation of machinists will need to learn new skills to match the opportunity provided by new technology," asserted Zuriff. "When we went public a year ago, we set aside one percent of our shares outstanding. These shares give us the ability to make charitable donations to organizations that improve lives, and more importantly, can provide the skills needed without the burden of debt. Xometry is proud to provide students with the funds needed for tuition, books and supplies to support 40 to 80 students here in New York who are building the state’s future economy.”
The scholarships are available beginning this fall to students enrolled in the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing microcredential program.
