Capital Region Community College Grads Increasingly Get Jobs in Manufacturing

Hudson Valley Community College’s Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills

As Capital Region students prepare to graduate this spring, those receiving degrees from local community colleges are increasingly getting jobs at manufacturers. In fact, among the state’s 10 economic development regions, community colleges in the Capital Region over the past decade saw the largest increase in graduates working in manufacturing one year post-graduation, according to a Center for Economic Growth CEG) analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes Explorer (PSEO).

Post-Graduation Employment

Among the 2016-2020 graduation cohort, 561 graduates of the Capital Region’s four community colleges were employed in the manufacturing sector one year after graduating. That was 220 more graduates that the region had working in manufacturing one year post-graduation among the 2006-2010 cohort. That was also the largest increase in the state, with the Western New York region ranking second with an increase of 91 graduates working in manufacturing one year post-graduation.

The Capital Region now has the state’s third largest community college talent pipeline for the manufacturing sector, whereas a decade earlier it ranked sixth. Only community colleges in the Finger Lakes (770) and Western New York (752) regions had more graduates working in manufacturing one year post-graduation.

Among the 2016-2020 cohort, Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC), had 347 graduates who were working in manufacturing one year post-graduation. That represented an increase of 134 from the 2006-2010 cohort – the largest increase among the 35 community colleges in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. In 2019, HVCC opened its $14.5 million, 37,000 square foot Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills (CAMS). The facility allowed the college to expand its advanced manufacturing program, which provides training for CNC machinists, toolmakers and industrial technicians.

Among the 2016-2020 cohort, SUNY Adirondack also had 115 graduates working in manufacturing a year after graduating, SUNY Schenectady had 76 and SUNY Columbia-Greene Community College had 23.

Top Programs and Pay

Among the Capital Region’s community colleges for the 2016-2020 cohort, the programs that produced the most manufacturing workers were engineering/engineering-related technologies (149), construction trades (83) and liberal arts and sciences, general (79). One year after graduation, the median annual earnings of HVCC graduates from the 2016-2020 cohort with associate’s degrees in electrical/electronic engineering technologies were $52,420 and $52,317 for those graduating with industrial production technologies degrees.

Over the past decade, Hudson Valley has made significant progress in delivering top-quality education in the rapidly growing fields of STEM and skilled trades,” said Louis Coplin, Officer in Charge at Hudson Valley Community College. “We’ve developed state-of-the-art facilities like the Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills, which has enabled us build industry partnerships and facilitate growth for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology A.O.S. degree program. Additionally, we launched the Uniquely Abled Academy—part of the national Uniquely Abled Project—to train, support, and place individuals on the autism spectrum in advanced manufacturing roles, specifically as CNC operators. We’ve also introduced on-campus manufacturing bootcamps and created high school pathway programs that guide students toward STEM-related careers. As we continue responding to the pressing demand for skilled workers in our region, we’re proud to see these encouraging outcomes for our students and industry partners alike.”

CEG Initiatives

As a group sponsor for several apprenticeship programs in the Capital Region, CEG helps manufacturers upskill their workforce by leveraging community college partners, such as HVCC, and online education tools available via Tooling U. CEG currently supports 45 active apprentices at eight Capital Region manufacturers for the following trades: industrial maintenance technician, nanotechnology engineering technician, CNC machinist, and welder. Participating manufacturers include GlobalFoundries, NY CREATES, Plug Power, Ross Precision Machining, Meridian Manufacturing, Greno Industries, Jenks Manufacturing, and Espey Mfg, and Electronics.

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