New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have procured $1.5 million in federal funding for a skills-based workforce development program at CCNY.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand have secured $1.5 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations package to boost skills-based workforce development at The City College of New York situated Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Development Initiative (RIWI). The funding will support The City College as it seeks to expand skills-based training on campus for low-income New Yorkers in the form of increased access to computer labs, instruments, trainers, and career opportunities.
“I’m proud to deliver $1.5 million for CCNY’s Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Development Initiative, a vital job-training program that helps economically disadvantaged New Yorkers overcome barriers to career advancement,” said Sen. Schumer. “This federal funding will help expand the program, named after my friend and colleague, the great former Representative from Harlem, Charlie Rangel, to enhance New York’s infrastructure workforce as well as continue CCNY’s long tradition of propelling social mobility.”
CCNY President Vincent G. Boudreau hailed the support, saying: “I am deeply grateful for Sen. Schumer’s leadership and initiative in securing the $1.5 million appropriation to support the operation of the Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative. This money will ensure that the Rangel Center continues to fulfill its crucial mission of preparing a diversified and democratically constituted workforce for the crucial, patriotic work of rebuilding America’s Infrastructure. Not only is this support crucial to the functioning and expansion of the Rangel Center, it’s a moving testimony to our elected officials’ attention to the welfare of our community and our educational institutions.”
The federal funding is a major development that will further enhance CCNY’s reputation as a leading driver of social mobility. For example, it will raise the annual household income of families with one or more members who will receive the training at The College and land employment critical to improving the city’s infrastructure as a result. In addition, the project's importance to the city is linked to its potential to enable low-income New Yorkers to become highly skilled in the most in-demand occupations.
In addition, the new funding will enable an increase in the local workforce hiring pool for employers, enabling them to scale up operations and create even more jobs in the process. It promises to empower the economically disadvantaged, including minorities, women, veterans, the formerly incarcerated, and recent high school graduates, by improving equity of opportunity in a historically unequal infrastructure labor market.
Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), a longtime supporter, funder, and advocate of the RIWI, which is in his Congressional District, endorsed the proposal to fund the initiative through a letter of support to help fortify the Senate application.
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 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi (now Lightcast) puts at $1.9 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 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. This year, 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 mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
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jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu