Rep. Adriano Espaillat [4th from right] at CCNY, whose Rangel Initiative is the beneficiary of $2M in federal funding sourced by the Congressman. Third from left is CCNY Pres. Vincent Boudreau, and other senior officials.
Since its launch in 2022, U.S Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) has been a strong advocate for the Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative (RIWI) at The City College of New York, whose mission is to prepare local workforce for the crucial work of rebuilding America’s infrastructure.
Over the past four years Espaillat’s support for this unique program in his Congressional district, named for his late predecessor Charles B. Rangel, has translated into nearly $13 million in federal funding, with the latest allotment, $2 million, included in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations to CUNY. This new money is aimed at expanding the Rangel Initiative’s skills-based workforce development programs for New Yorkers through increased access to computer labs, instruments and career opportunities.
Overall, the Rangel Initiative provides accessible, industry-recognized training that equips hundreds of New Yorkers each year with essential job skills and professional certifications. This impact opens doors to careers in construction, transportation, clean energy, and more, helping to build a stronger workforce for the future.
“Congressman Rangel and I came together with a vision that City College should have a state-of-the-art international institute. At that time we weren't talking about it having his name, but it would train young people in matters pertaining to major infrastructure work that the nation obviously is taking up,” Espaillat said at CCNY.
“We were looking at the Second Avenue Subway Phase Two project, as well as the Gateway Project and several major projects that provide job opportunities for young people. So, CCNY President Vincent Boudreau, in his vision, put together the Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Institute. And, I think it has been very successful.
“RIWI has established partnerships with the building trades, which is very important because the building trades have their own training components, and now the institute is one of those training components.”
Through these partnerships, RIWI is able to place graduates of its various programs into various building trades and other positions. One such collaboration is with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York’s (BCTC), which is the primary resource for direct-entry and pre-apprenticeship recruitment for each affiliate, such as The Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills (CSKILLS), Inc.
CCNY’s 13th President, Boudreau was deeply thankful for the powerful support for RIWI from Espaillat and New York’s other congressional and senatorial representatives.
“We had no idea how quickly [RIWI] would grow not just in in terms of what its original mandate is, but how it would grow into the fabric of City College,” he said.
Boudreau noted new programs such as the commercial drivers’ license training in partnership with the Teamsters labor union, using simulators at CCNY union trucks off-site. According to the Teamsters, there are 70,000 jobs in the country for truck drivers that are not currently met.
Another new RIWI program teaches students how to operate ground-penetrating radar.
“So, we will be putting our young people into those jobs,” said Boudreau.
RIWI is led by Angelo Lampousis, its inaugural Executive Director, who said the Initiative was exploring collaboration with international organizations, such as the International Olive Council (IOC) and expanding its portfolio in 2027 in other front-line occupations, including Certified Custodial Cleaning Technician Courses and food handling as part of the new training opportunities in the culinary arts at basic and intermediate levels..
About RIWI
The Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative at City College of New York is dedicated to preparing individuals for careers in the evolving infrastructure sector. As the higher education and employment landscape continues to shift toward skills-based hiring, we champion job-centric learning, bridging the gap between education and real-world workforce demands. Read more.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 2.2% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY's annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the "for dollar" return on investment to students, taxpayers, and society. At City College, more than 16,500 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity, and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign ever. The campaign, titled "Doing Remarkable Things Together," seeks to bring the College's Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College's mission. By May 2026, $500 million had been raised. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic, and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
p: 917.892.0374
e:
jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu