LaGuardia Community College, located in Long Island City and part of the City University of New York system, has been awarded nearly $2 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education to launch a program aimed at improving students’ economic mobility and closing skill gaps in industries that are in-demand.
According to a news release from the college, the LaGuardia Workforce Success Engine for Pell-Eligible Pathways will develop an array of non-degree workforce training programs that improve vocational skills development that will be eligible for Workforce Pell.
Workforce Pell, the news release explained, is a new federal initiative administered by the DOE that makes Pell Grants available to low-income students who enroll in short-term — 8- to 15-week — workforce training programs that lead to in-demand jobs in fields such as tech and healthcare.
Kenneth Adams, president of LAGCC, described Workforce Pell as a “game changer” that will address skill gaps for employers and improve economic mobility for students by targeting labor markets currently in demand. “The requirement that programs must lead to college degrees will encourage people who are ambivalent about college to give it a second look,” he added.
The initiative represents a notable change in federal student aid policy, the college said, as it broadens access to financial support for individuals seeking vocational skills development. Programs must be “stackable,” meaning they must offer academic credit that can be applied to a college degree in a related field.
“Through active engagement with employer partners, workforce intermediaries and CUNY system leadership, the project will ensure programs are responsive, scalable and positioned to support long-term economic opportunity,” said Sunil Gupta, vice president for Adult and Continuing Education at LAGCC.
Adams added that the investment reinforces LaGuardia’s role as a leader in workforce innovation and establishes the CUNY system as a key player in the adoption of Workforce Pell across the state. “We will be able to create new pathways to sustained employment and economic mobility for New Yorkers,” he said.
According to the news release, the FIPSE Special Project Program awarded grants totaling $167 million to institutions of higher education — including 18 community colleges — as well as public agencies and state educational agencies in four areas of national need.
Only four grants were awarded in New York State across all areas, the news release continued, and LaGuardia was the only institution in New York State awarded a grant in one of four focus areas targeted by the program — Area of National Need 4: Supporting Capacity-Building for High-Quality Short-Term Programs.
Key partners in the LaGuardia Workforce Success Engine for Pell-Eligible Pathways include the New York Jobs CEO Council and the CUNY Office of Careers and Industry Partnerships, which the college said provide employer networks and workforce training expertise that will support skills validation, work-based learning and job placement.
LaGuardia Community College, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, serves approximately 24,000 students annually in pre-college, associate degree, workforce training and English for Speakers of Other Languages programs. It is nationally recognized for its leadership in adult and continuing education.
