PLATTSBURGH — The North Country Chamber of Commerce will lead a special IAM Transition Task Force to find a sustainable pathway for the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton Community College.
Chamber President Garry Douglas says the potential for the IAM is wide open.
“Our area has one of the most dynamic and diverse collections of manufacturers anywhere in New York which is why the state invested in the creation of the IAM here,” Douglas said.
“And the governor (Kathy Hochul) is doubling down on the state’s commitment to advanced manufacturing training, including a proposal for $200 million over a number of years for a series of training hubs. So we believe with collaboration and outreach, new funding support can be achieved.”
CCC RE-LOCATING
CCC is in the midst of preparing to re-locate its operations to the campus of SUNY Plattsburgh by fall of 2025. The move was necessitated by sagging enrollment and revenue at CCC.
Also with lower enrollment, the SUNY campus has plenty of room to accommodate such a move.
As planning gets underway for the eventual transfer of CCC, Clinton County and the SUNY Chancellor’s Office have asked the North Country Chamber of Commerce to lead the IAM Transition Task Force.
The 30,000-square-foot IAM opened in the fall of 2017 on the CCC campus. It is a state of the art facility that houses Clinton’s technology programs, and also serves as a regional hub for manufacturing education, with flexible teaching and learning space.
It also offers courses to local manufacturers to advance their workforces.
Douglas said the institute is a critical piece for the county’s future in manufacturing.
“We and our colleagues thank the County Legislature and SUNY for this opportunity to not only sustain the unique purpose and mission of the AIM but to develop ways to take it to new levels of impact and value,” he said.
COLLABORATION
Working with the chamber to chart the IAM’s future will be a group that will include key representatives from Clinton County, CVES/CV-TEC, SUNY, the Workforce Development Institute, TDC, CITEC, Lincoln Electric, and Clarkson along with State Legislators, with an active liaison with CCC and outreach to other partners including area manufacturers.
The aim is to develop new approaches and collaborations that can not only sustain but grow the role of the IAM in support of training for the North Country’s advanced manufacturing community. The chamber is already surveying area companies on their current and future skills training needs, and initiatives are underway to help identify possible new funding support.
Douglas said they have just begun one-on-one outreach to area manufacturers, showing various needs from welding and HVAC to assembly skills, machining, lean manufacturing practices, industry certifications and company specific processes.
“The Task Force will look at both pathways for sustained funding assistance and enhanced utilization as well as how to develop a collaboration versus past dependency on the community college,” Douglas said.
“We will look to have recommendations for the county and SUNY by summer, while potentially lining up some new resources and programs before then.
COUNTY MISSION
Clinton County Legislature Chairman Mark Henry (R-Area 3, Chazy) said the work of the chamber to lead a solid task force to address the future of the IAM will protect the integrity and the mission of the IAM.
“The chamber has led a wide array of initiatives that provides them with keen insight of the needs of our business community with regards to workforce training and development,” Henry said.
While the IAM, which opened in 2017, is slated to remain open on the CCC campus, the county is working on plans for what to do with the remaining facilities on campus
“The legislature looks forward to the group’s findings and recommendations while we simultaneously pursue alternative uses for the remaining property that fits the highest and best use for Clinton County.”