SUNY Jamestown Community College Workforce Development held a ribbon cutting ceremony today for the newly-renovated Industrial & Building Automation Center and the training programs that the space will support. A public open house took place following the ceremony.
Holger Ekanger, vice president of Workforce Development;
and Daniel DeMarte, president of JCC officially open the
newly-renovated Industrial and Building Automation Center, located
in the top floor of the Hultquist Library at the Jamestown Campus.
Funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the Sheldon, Carnahan Jackson, Hultquist, and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundations allowed for remodeling the entire area, and purchasing new furniture and equipment. These funds also help to cover program costs and wraparound services for students enrolled in these cohorts.
Chris Napoleon, president and chief engineer at NES Bearings in Olean was one of several speakers at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Napoleon has hired two students that have completed the Machining/CNC program through Workforce Development.
“JCC and area employers have been working together to provide concentrated training programs that serve to reduce the risk of employment to manufacturers while motivating students in advanced manufacturing fields,” Napoleon explained. “These programs and facilities validate JCC’s commitment to the success of our regional manufacturers.”
This new space will most directly support the Industrial Maintenance Technician and the Building Automation Systems Workforce Development programs. The classrooms and computer lab allow for an interactive learning environment, while the robotic equipment and Programmable Logic Controller trainers provide students hands-on training with what today’s industry professionals are using.
Classes for the Industrial Maintenance Technician program start Feb. 27, and the Building Automation Systems program begins this summer.
Visit sunyjcc.edu/workforce-advanced-manufacturing for more information.