Governor Paterson Announces $11 Million National Emergency Grant (NEG)

Governor David A. Paterson—introduced by BMCC President Antonio Pérez and joined by New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, New York State Senator Daniel L. Squadron, and New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Patricia Smith—held a press conference in BMCCs Richard Harris Terrace to announce the availability of federal funding to retrain New Yorkers who lost their jobs in the recent collapse of the financial services sector. A new strategy for getting back in the workforce More than ever before, community colleges are places where individuals can return to acquire and update the skills they need to function and thrive in a rapidly changing world, said President Pérez in his opening remarks. Typically, this kind of assistance helps people re-enter the field from which theyve been displaced; in this case, it makes sense to find a different career ladder altogether. This funding will be merged in the areas where we feel employment will flourish, Paterson said, in the new, emerging fields such as green jobs, health care, teaching and information technology. An estimated 1400 workers are expected to receive NEG funding. Staff from the New York State Department of Labor has already interviewed over 1100 potential NEG workers in the New York City area, helping them develop a training plan matching their transferable skills and goals with viable jobs. Going where the jobs are The important question, said BMCCs Continuing Education Dean, Sunil Gupta in an interview with ...



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