By Madina Toure
State Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Fresh Meadows) announced legislation to create the Community College High-Technology Investment Program for community colleges at Queensborough Monday afternoon.
The program, known as C-CHIP, would award grants of up to $100,000 to community colleges to upgrade their educational, occupational and training services, which includes their labs, facilities and high-tech equipment.
Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside), Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Fresh Meadows) and Queensborough Community College President Diane Call were also present at the ceremony, held at QCC’s Academic Computer Center at 222-05 56th Ave. in Bayside.
“We reiterate that this is all about traditional and workforce development training, $100,000 grants that would go really far in helping local community colleges statewide prepare students and workers for the high-tech industry and get them where they need to be in a competitive workforce,” Rozic said during the news conference.
Stavisky said the program takes into account that these are the fastest growing fields in workforce development.
“These are where the jobs are,” Stavisky said. “We’re not training somebody to sit at a linotype machine and type out newspaper copy the way they used to. Instead we have high-tech programs.”
Weprin, who represented Queensborough Community College for 11 years, said he has “seen Queensborough for many, many years grow,” noting that the college is a pioneer in the industry.
Braunstein commended the legislation as beneficial for the economy in the long term.
“This relatively small investment in our community colleges will pay for itself many times over in increased economic activity and new tax revenue,” he said.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
