New Mobile Training Labs Will Bring Customized Advanced Manufacturing and Healthcare Training Directly to Companies and Organizations

Two 44-foot long Mobile Training Labs now parked on campus won’t be here for long. Soon, they will travel to businesses and organizations locally and across the state, offering customized Advanced Manufacturing and Healthcare training to employees who won’t need to travel off-site to upgrade their skills, learn new skills, and earn specialized certifications. Made possible through a $1 million SUNY Workforce Development Initiative Consolidated Funding Application (WDI CFA) Grant, the mobile labs will provide employer-driven workforce and professional development training for new and incumbent workers; promote awareness to high school and middle school students, inspiring young people to become the next generation’s healthcare and manufacturing workforce; and support and encourage community members to understand pathways to great careers in healthcare and manufacturing.

College officials, joined by Congressman Paul Tonko, industry partners, and community leaders, offered tours of the new Mobile Training Labs during a ceremonial ribbon cutting event on Nov. 21 at SUNY Schenectady, that showcased the labs and their training capacity. During the ribbon cutting, SUNY Schenectady officials and Congressman Tonko announced that the College is slated to receive $500,000 in federal funding for a new depot to house the Mobile Training Labs pending congressional approval. The depot will be a two-bay, dual entry passthrough, commercial garage, approximately 6,000 square feet, located in the rear parking lot on the College’s campus.

“I credit the College with having the vision, and implementing that vision, in a way that enables the campus to be all the more responsive to the needs of our community and the greater Capital Region,” said Congressman Tonko. “These Workforce Development Mobile Training Labs will be making state-of-the-art training available, providing for retraining, or introducing training to workers already in the manufacturing and healthcare arenas. They will also be bringing that opportunity to students, enabling them to consider a career path in one of these two chosen fields: manufacturing and healthcare. Tapping into their curiosity will be a major benefit of these two labs on wheels which will make their way around the region and strengthen all of us. To the leadership here at SUNY Schenectady, thank you for the implementation of such great vision.”

The Mobile Training Labs are 8.5 feet wide and 13 feet tall, with 6-foot slides, and are pulled by two F-350 trucks dedicated to the project. They have a 13-person capacity (12 students and 1 instructor). The Advanced Manufacturing lab has customized equipment to provide a variety of manufacturing workshops, including a Motion AI Collaborative Robot, 3D printer, SolidWorks, and interactive learning lab panels for electrical wiring, variable frequency drives, safety lock-out/tag-out, and electrical controls hands-on training. In addition, workshops will be provided for customer service, supply chain and logistics, cyber security awareness, and leadership in business.

The Healthcare lab features equipment and training modules for phlebotomy and EKG. Healthcare industry partners can prepare or upskill their workforce with essential healthcare skills, trauma-informed care, healthcare focused safety and ergonomics, anatomy and physiology, and medical coding and billing.

In addition to the training related to the available equipment, SUNY Schenectady is ready to offer specialized training based on the needs of employers that serves the current job market and community. The labs can be on site for various durations, depending upon the needs of the employer.

Another important aspect is that the labs will be used to introduce high school and middle school students to careers in healthcare and advanced manufacturing, providing them with pathways to sustaining wage occupations.

“Our Mobile Training Labs are revolutionizing the way that we partner with business and industry by allowing us to bring our expert instructors and equipment directly to them, eliminating any barriers their employees may have to traveling off site for training programs,” said Dr. Steady Moono, President of SUNY Schenectady. “We are ready to build customized training for employers and travel to them to meet their demands and strengthen their workforce. We also want our young people to know that there are careers out there for them and the Mobile Training Labs are an excellent way to walk them through those possibilities, and engage them in their futures.”

National Grid was among the first industry partners to provide funding support for the Mobile Training Labs.

“As the energy landscape changes, we need tools that will bring new ideas and groundbreaking innovation to get us to a more sustainable future,” said Brian Sano, National Grid Regional Executive. “This new mobile SUNY Schenectady classroom is a unique way to bring in these new ideas and attract the workforce needed to shape the future of energy in the Capital Region and beyond.”

“Without organizations like SUNY Schenectady, it would be nearly impossible to continue to grow our workforce for the future of our company,” said David Dussault, CEO of P1. “We’re excited to partner with SUNY Schenectady to develop programs and trainings that lead to more manufacturing jobs in Schenectady.”

“We could not be more delighted that the labs are ready to move out into our community,” said Sarah Wilson-Sparrow, Vice President of SUNY Schenectady’s Workforce Development and Community Education Division. “The idea that these state-of-the-art mobile classrooms can bring the power of SUNY education and training to the door of industry is incredibly exciting.”

Employers and educators interested in finding out more about the new Mobile Training Labs may contact Sarah Wilson-Sparrow at wilsons@sunysccc.edu.

During the Ribbon Cutting, guests enjoyed delicious food and hot beverages prepared by faculty and students from the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism.