CHEERS to Clinton County and Clinton-Essex-Warren-Washington BOCES/CVES for developing a plan to continue operations at the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing on the campus of Clinton Community College.
It’s not just a plan to keep the operation going, it is a plan to elevate the program to higher levels, which will be a tremendous benefit to the region’s robust manufacturing segment.
The county will partner with BOCES/CVES to operate the IAM, which has been operating on the campus of CCC since 2017.
They will provide programming and workforce training that the institute was designed for. A long-term lease with the county is being negotiated for the transition.
When CCC announced earlier this year that they would be moving to the campus of SUNY Plattsburgh in the fall of 2025, one of the major concerns was what was going to happen to the IAM.
The program was seen as a perfect complement to the local manufacturing industry and was seen to have a bright future training local students for good jobs in the industry and supplying local companies with what they need.
But as CCC struggled to deal with declining enrollment, budget concerns and then COVID, the IAM seemed to become a bit stagnant.
The county was in charge of developing a future for the IAM as they are for the rest of the buildings and facilities at CCC.
County and SUNY leaders had the good foresight to appoint North Country Chamber of Commerce CEO/President, Garry Douglas, to convene an IAM task force to figure out the best plan for the operation.
The task force was comprised of a group of community stakeholders who set out with the mission to preserve and enhance the IAM.
As usual, Douglas came through with a solid plan, securing the deal with BOCES/CVES, and it seems like a perfect fit.
The plan calls for focusing on wider opportunities for basic and advanced training and continuing to meet the specific needs of local manufacturers as they move forward.
BOCES-CVES has the resources and expertise to handle the mission of the IAM, and with a new director, hopefully the program will bring in more students and flourish.
Having such a strong program in the region will only help the many companies that rely on strong workforces to recruit and retain more and better employees, which will ensure a stronger economic future for all of us.
As the higher education landscape continues to change in this state and country, we are seeing more and more smart and talented young students choosing to go a different route than the traditional college experience.
Programs like the IAM are perfect for many of them and they will provide these students an opportunity to establish themselves in a field that is growing and put themselves in a position of advancement.
These are good-paying jobs that often come with good benefits so it is not out of the question that someone could come to the IAM at a young age, get trained, land a good job, and move up the ladder over the years for a satisfying career.
Douglas is right when he said the plan is, “a completely positive outcome for all concerned, including Clinton Community College, CVES and especially our region’s manufacturers and all who can benefit from the training made possible by the IAM.”