CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN SUPER CHARGES CAREER AND TECHINCAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING IN HUDSON VALLEY, BREAKS GROUND ON CUTTING-EDGE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT iPARK 87 WITH SECRETARY OF EDUCATION MIGUEL CARDONA
Congressman Pat Ryan Super Charges Career and Technical Education Programming in Hudson Valley, Breaks Ground on Cutting-Edge Workforce Development Center at iPark 87 with Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona
Ryan joined U.S. Dept. of Ed. Sec. Miguel Cardona, County Executive Jen Metzger, State Senator Michelle Hinchey, BOCES District Superintendent Jonah Schenker, NYSED, SUNY, BOCES, and local education and teachers’ union leaders for groundbreaking of future Career & Technical Education (CTE) site and for a roundtable discussion on expanding CTE opportunities in the Hudson Valley
Ryan has fought to revitalize the former IBM campus going back to his time as County Executive
KINGSTON, NY – Today, Congressman Pat Ryan joined with U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, County Executive Jen Metzger, State Senator Michelle Hinchey, BOCES District Superintendent Jonah Schenker, local leaders in education and labor, and Hudson Valley students to break ground on the site for the new Ulster BOCES, SUNY New Paltz, and SUNY Ulster Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming center at iPark 87. The new facility will offer expanded CTE, trades and skill building, and workforce development opportunities for Hudson Valley high schoolers. Ryan then joined with leaders from local teachers’ unions for a meeting with Secretary Cardona and hosted a roundtable at Dutchess Community College with local education leaders to discuss expanding CTE opportunities in the Hudson Valley. Congressman Ryan has been fighting to revitalize iPark 87 since his time as Ulster County Executive.
“I've proudly fought to revitalize iPark 87 since my first day as County Executive – today we’re building on the exciting momentum at this site and sending a message that the workforce of the future starts right here in the Hudson Valley,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “I’m honored that Secretary Cardona could join us to celebrate this landmark investment in Hudson Valley students and families, which has been years in the making; and I want to thank everyone whose tireless efforts made it all possible. My grandfather worked at this site for 36 years when it was an engine of economic growth and good paying jobs for hard-working families across the region. Now, for the first time in my lifetime, I can envision my two young boys and the entire next generation having that same opportunity.”
“For too long in this country, we've normalized one narrow pathway to opportunity: a four-year college or bust mentality. The Ulster BOCES Career Pathways Academies at iPark87 are a shining example of the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to redefine career pathways and career success," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
“The relocation of Ulster BOCES Career Pathways Academies to iPark 87 is going to unlock unprecedented educational and job opportunities for its graduates as part of a workforce development hub involving the County government, SUNY Ulster, SUNY New Paltz, business, labor, and community-based partners,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “We're building an innovative model from the ground up, and I want to thank Congressman Ryan for laying the foundation for all we're doing today when he was County Executive, and for his unwavering commitment to creating meaningful, family-sustaining jobs for our people.”
“iPark 87 is on track to becoming the hub of economic and career development in the Hudson Valley, and the perfect next step in revitalizing this former IBM campus is creating direct pathways to the jobs of the future through BOCES,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “Ulster BOCES excels at equipping students to be job-ready right after graduation, and relocating its Career and Technical Center in iPark 87 will position our next generation at the forefront of where innovation and industry are taking root in our community. We thank everyone who helped make this important investment happen, and look forward to seeing the opportunities this campus will bring to families across our region.”
“As someone who didn’t take the traditional career path, I know the value of having robust career and technical education (CTE) resources to help young people explore future career paths,” said Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino. “That is why we have been proud to invest in Dutchess Community College’s mechatronics, aviation and other innovations programs, as well as champion the various offerings through Dutchess BOCES, to foster connections and opportunities for students looking to begin careers in in-demand fields. We thank Congressman Ryan for his ongoing support for CTE opportunities and wish Ulster County as much success with its new iPark venture as we have experienced with the original iPark East Fishkill here in Dutchess County, which is filled to capacity with a diverse mix of businesses from hi-tech industry, to bakers, beverage manufacturer and other distributors.”
"The relocation of the Ulster BOCES Career Pathways Academies to iPark 87, along with the repurposing of our current career and technical center in Port Ewen to serve students with different abilities, marks significant steps forward in creating equitable access and opportunities for all of Ulster County's students,” said BOCES District Superintendent Jonah Schenker. “These moves will empower Ulster BOCES, Ulster County component school districts, Ulster County government, and SUNY’s two-and four-year colleges to collaborate more effectively to support students of all ages, our business and industry partners, and our community. On June 20, we reaffirmed our commitment to redefining workforce and economic development by centering our future—our students."
“I appreciate the opportunity to participate in today’s roundtable discussion with U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and thank Congressman Pat Ryan for facilitating this enlightening dialogue,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers. “The Career and Technical Education programming initiatives through Dutchess Community College are particularly important, as we work to build a workforce that has the necessary skills to take advantage of today’s job opportunities. The City of Poughkeepsie stands committed to putting our youth in the best position possible for success, which is why we have formed the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet with the City School District to address cradle-to-career initiatives. Congressman Ryan understands the work being done on these many fronts, and today’s announcement bolstering iPark 87 programming and the roundtable bringing key educators together are testaments to that commitment.”
“DCC is honored to welcome back U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona and Congressman Ryan, both of whom attended the ribbon-cutting of our new Mechatronics Lab last October,” said Dr. Peter Jordan, President of Dutchess Community College. “Community colleges are perfectly positioned to serve as a hub between industry, government, and P-12 education, and as DCC works to provide the career and technical education to support a thriving workforce, it’s a privilege to host gatherings like this one to help bring those partners together with leaders like Secretary Cardona and Representative Ryan for productive dialogue scaling up successful CTE models.”
“IBM has long championed a skills-first approach to hiring and workforce development,” said Yelena Vaynberg, Government and Regulatory Affairs, IBM. “But to truly address the technology skills gap in this country and maintain our competitive advantage globally, skills-first practices need to be scaled across businesses and government. There are hundreds of thousands of open jobs in critical sectors such as IT, cybersecurity and AI, and IBM is taking a holistic approach to ensure more people obtain the proper skills and open pathways to secure meaningful and well-paid jobs, including here in the Hudson Valley.”
Attendees at the iPark 87 groundbreaking included:
- New York State Department of Education Commissioner Betty Rosa
- Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger
- State Senator Michelle Hinchey
- Regent Seema Rivera
- NYS Deputy Secretary for Education Maria Fernandez
- BOCES District Superintendent Jonah Schenker
Attendees at the DCC roundtable discussion included:
- Dutchess Community College President Dr. Peter Jordan
- Arlington Central School District Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Dr. Daisy Rodriguez
- Newburgh Enlarged City School District Superintendent Dr. Jackielyn Manning Campbell
Congressman Pat Ryan has spearheaded the redevelopment of the former IBM site at iPark 87 since he served as Ulster County Executive. In May, it was announced that Ulster BOCES, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Ulster, along with Ulster County and other community-based partners, had signed leases to transform iPark 87 into a career development hub - the Sustainable Ulster Workforce Innovation Center. The new facility will include instructional space for SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Ulster, room for Ulster BOCES to train 1,200 local high school students in trades and skills building, and will house Ulster County’s departments of Employment and Training, Tourism and Economic Development. Ulster BOCES expects classes to begin at the new center in September of 2025. BOCES was created by the New York State legislature in 1948 to meet workforce demands for students trained in the trades
Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona previously served as Commissioner of Education for Connecticut. As Secretary of Education, he has overseen the Biden Administration’s historic student loan forgiveness program and has placed an emphasis on addressing the nation’s student mental health crisis, a priority he and Congressman Ryan share.
Congressman Ryan cosponsors the Mental Health Services for Students Act and the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act to make mental healthcare accessible to students. Ryan is also a champion for career and technical education opportunities. He recently toured Arlington High School’s CTE program and cosponsors the Mentoring to Succeed Act and the Youth Workforce Readiness Act to create more skills building and workforce preparation opportunities for students. Ryan has been a steadfast partner and advocate of BOCES programs.
Congressman Ryan’s recent tour of the Arlington High School CTE program also included a roundtable with local education and teachers union leaders to discuss workforce development opportunities.
Today’s meeting with Secretary Cardona and teachers unions included representatives from unions across all three counties in NY-18. The roundtable conversation discussing career pathways with Secretary Cardona included Hudson Valley high school and community college students, superintendents from local school districts, Dr. Peter Jordan, President of Dutchess Community College, as well as representatives from workforce development operations at the Council of Industries and IBM.
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