County Democrats support of Community College continues to pay off

Schenectady County Community College this week graduated its first student from its new Associate Degree in Nanoscale Materials Technology program. This cutting edge technology program is helping to prepare a new workforce for the new Tech Valley. Major local employers such as GE and SuperPower will be able to hire graduates to work in new high paying manufacturing jobs. Also, AMD will need similarly educated workers for the new tech jobs they are bringing to the Capital Region.

This public-private partnership is a model for using community colleges as catalysts for economic growth. Schenectady County Legislature Chairwoman Susan E. Savage was quoted in the Daily Gazette saying, "We created a very good partnership that's going to serve our community well for years to come."

Schenectady County Democrats have made support of the community college part of their continuing economic development efforts. Last year, understanding the difficult economic times and the need to invest in community college level education for the changing workforce, Democrats on the county Legislature sponsored an $80,000 increase in the County's annual sponsorship contribution, bringing the total to approximately $2 million. The legislature also appointed Niskayuna-resident Sharon Daley, a senior HR executive for General Electric, to the Board of Trustees, strengthening the relationship between the college and the local business community.