Teal background image.

Governor Hochul Announces Launch of $10 Million Mohawk Valley Empowers Grant Program to Address Regional Challenges to Workforce Participation

Mohawk Valley REDC Program Supported by $10 Million Award from Round XIII of Governor Hochul’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative - Application Available Here

Additional $4 Million Capital Grant Awarded to SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Semiconductor Processing to Packaging Research, Education and Training Center

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of Mohawk Valley Empowers, a three-year, $10 million initiative designed to strengthen the Mohawk Valley’s regional workforce ecosystem. This new program prioritizes empowering people by recognizing the need to increase workforce participation, expand wraparound services, and redefine career readiness. Mohawk Valley Empowers resulted from extensive collaboration across six counties, nine colleges and BOCES, industry experts and 22 non-profit partners. Through in-depth data analysis and stakeholder engagement, Mohawk Valley Empowers identified actionable solutions to address the core challenges hindering workforce participation in the region. Potential applicants seeking funding must submit a Consolidated Funding Application, which will be accepted through Friday, June 28.

“The Mohawk Valley is becoming a destination for semiconductor manufacturing and research, and this initiative will empower New Yorkers to take part in the transformative economic potential and future that lies ahead – both in this industry and beyond,” Governor Hochul said. “Our strategic partnerships with educational and industry stakeholders will help to develop a robust talent pipeline, create accessible pathways to jobs, and make the Mohawk Valley a place for New Yorkers to build their careers.”

Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, Chair of the Regional Economic Development Councils said, “The cornerstone of our regional economic development process is collaborative, community-led projects that will build a stronger future for New Yorkers statewide. Mohawk Valley Empowers showcases the importance of bringing our regional workforce together to create the job trainings and employment opportunities needed to build a 21st century economy.”

Since 2011, the Mohawk Valley’s workforce participation rate has remained relatively flat at less than 60 percent. Additionally, 74 percent of the region’s current working-aged population do not have bachelor’s degrees. Mohawk Valley Empowers will support projects that aim to go beyond skills training by empowering individuals through culturally sensitive and community-driven approaches to meet the demands of the growing tourism, agribusiness, and STEM sectors while creating pathways for families to rise out of poverty. Innovative, catalytic projects and programs that address fundamental barriers to employment, advance professional skills development, empower individuals, and promote workplace participation are encouraged. Proposals will be prioritized based on their ability to meet people where they are on their career journeys, dismantle structural inequities within the workforce pipeline, and consider the holistic needs of participants. Program guidelines, including a full list of eligible entities, are available here.

Complementing today’s workforce development initiative launch in the Mohawk Valley, Empire State Development has awarded a $4 million capital grant to support SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s $26.5 million Semiconductor Processing to Packaging Research, Education and Training Center in the NY CREATES Quad C building, currently occupied by Semikron Danfoss, to serve as an epicenter for semiconductor research, education and training, with a goal to increase graduates across advanced manufacturing disciplines by 10 percent in the next four years.

Read the full press release here.