Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Nearly $3.5 Million Coming To Hudson Valley Community College For Solar Energy Installation Training

October 9, 2009

by Senator Gillibrand

Category: News || Grants, Technology | No Comments

New York, NY – October 9, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Today, United States Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the Hudson Valley Community College in Troy will receive $3,497,595 from the Department of Energy. The grant, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will be used to provide training to the Northeast Solar Workforce Training Project. It is intended to address the critical need in New York for qualified energy system installers.

“As President Obama saw first-hand when he visited the college, HVCC is ready to become a leader in the solar energy field and this funding will help it do just that,” said Schumer. “These federal dollars will help train students to succeed in the fast growing green technology industry enabling them to obtain good paying jobs for years to come.”

“This is a great investment for the Hudson Valley,” Senator Gillibrand said. “These federal dollars will help us produce more clean, homegrown sources of energy and create the trained workforce for the jobs of the future – helping to rebuild our economy for the long term. I will continue working with Senator Schumer and the entire Congressional Delegation to make sure New York gets its fair share from the federal government.”

“Hudson Valley Community College is pleased that the federal government recognizes the leadership role we have taken in developing and delivering training programs in photovoltaic technologies,” said Andrew J. Matonak, President of the college. “This funding will allow us to establish a network of certified instructors across the northeast, which will have a significant positive impact on the photovoltaic industry and the promotion of sustainable renewable energy.”

The grant, awarded by the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Program, will enable the HVCC to meet the increased demands that it has seen and prepare students for jobs in clean renewable energy. In addition to the HVCC, eight other colleges, universities, and local organizations have been selected by the Department of Energy to lead regional solar installation “train-the-trainer” programs. The projects selected support a national ramp-up and coordinated network of training programs that will help accelerate the commercialization of solar technologies.

HVCC has about 13,500 students and 630 full-time and part-time faculty members. The college offers more than 70 majors and is the largest undergraduate college in the Capital Region.