Hudson Valley Community College hosted a grand opening ceremony for the $14.5 million Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2019.
Project Background
- last updated 2017
Hudson Valley Community College is building the Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills (CAMS) – a new $14.5 million, 37,000 square foot building designed by Mosaic Associates, a Troy-based architecture firm. When completed (estimated to open in Fall 2019), the center will allow the college to double enrollment in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology (A.O.S.) degree program and meet an urgent workforce demand for skilled employees in the region.
CAMS is envisioned as a one-stop hub to support employee training and recruitment. The building's design provides corporate partners with access to offices and conference space adjacent to faculty offices, student classrooms and labs. Facilities will be available for corporate demonstration purposes, shared training activities, meetings and events that connect the college to its workforce partners more than ever before.
Manufacturing in the Capital Region and Nationwide
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are approximately 900,000 more manufacturing jobs today than in 2010, but the country's manufacturing companies are struggling to hire qualified employees necessary for business and economic growth. By 2020, more than 200,000 new positions are expected for machinists and industrial maintenance technicians nationwide.
The Albany-Schenectady-Troy metropolitan statistical area in 2016 had the fifth fastest-growing manufacturing sector among the nation's largest 100 manufacturing metros, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. The region added 26,300 manufacturing jobs in 2016, up 3.5 percent from the previous year. However, local manufacturing companies struggle to fill open positions and grow operations due to a limited pool of skilled employees within our market.
With the construction of a new Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills, Hudson Valley is poised to help fill the shortage of well-trained, skilled craftspeople and help manufacturing firms to expand, create new jobs and contribute to economic growth.
Advanced Manufacturing Technology Program
The college's Advanced Manufacturing Technology A.O.S. degree program trains machinists, toolmakers and CNC programmers. It is the only community college training program of its kind within 125 miles, and it has a 100 percent job placement rate for graduates, with nearly all students securing work prior to of graduation.
Currently, 45 students graduate from this program each year, but the lack of additional lab space and necessary equipment on campus prohibits the college from teaching and training more students, making CAMS an essential project for regional industry growth and development.
Capital Campaign
To make CAMS a reality, public sector and private industry investment in is crucial. In early 2015, the Hudson Valley Community College Foundation established a capital campaign committee comprised of industry partners and longtime faculty and set out to raise $3.25 million for construction and equipment.
The Hudson Valley Community College Foundation has secured gifts toward this initiative, including:
- A leadership challenge gift of $1 million from the Gene Haas Foundation, received in September 2015. Gene Haas is the founder and president of Haas Automation, Inc., which builds CNC Machine Tools for manufacturing. The college's new training center will bear his name. Haas Automation is a longtime partner of Hudson Valley and provider of the equipment used in training its students.
- A donation of $125,000 in August 2016 from the Albany-based Simmons Machine Tool Corporation (part of the NSH Group) for the construction of a state-of-the-art electro/mechanical industrial maintenance lab.
- A $25,000 grant from GE Power in October 2016 to develop a Student Advisement Center named in the memory of GE Human Resources Manager, Gale O'Gorman, who was instrumental in creating and sustaining GE's machinist program.
- A $100,000 contribution from the Hearst Foundation in November 2016.
- More than $100,000 was raised at the annual Gala in October 2017.
- A $2.9 million grant through the Empire State Development Corporation was part of the New York State Regional Economic Development Council awards announced by Governor Cuomo in December 2017.
- U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announce $1.5 million in federal funding for new advanced manufacturing facility in December 2017.