Delgado Continues Focus on Workforce Development Programs at Questar III Rensselaer-Columbia-Greene Counties BOCES
HUDSON, NY — Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) visited the Questar III BOCES serving Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene Counties and toured their expansive Educational Center to learn more about the courses offered. Today’s visit also included more information on the HVAC/Green Technologies Program, skills training and workforce development.
“I am deeply committed to enhancing career and technical education programs across our district to ensure young people are given every opportunity to succeed. The Questar III BOCES serving Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene Counties is a critically important facility with specialized programs that give our workers skills training for good paying jobs in EMS, welding, large machinery and other specialized fields,” Delgado said. “This in-district work week, I’m focused on learning more about these critical workforce development programs and how they would be advanced by legislation I’ve introduced to bolster our workforce and fill jobs in upstate. My Green Jobs and Opportunity Act and the Gateway to Careers Act are designed to support and prepare existing workforce development programs with the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow. It’s great to see the innovative programs offered at Questar III, and I’ll continue working as a federal partner to ensure all our students have the opportunity to get the skills they need.”
“Thank you to Rep. Antonio Delgado for taking time of his schedule to visit our educational center. We appreciate his support of career and technical education and look forward to having him back to meet our students,” said Questar III BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Gladys I. Cruz.
Delgado introduced the Green Jobs and Opportunity Act, environmental legislation to combat climate change and ensure the labor workforce is ready to transition to a clean energy economy. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to avoid the most severe impacts of a changing climate, there must be net-zero global emissions by 2050. Rep. Delgado’s legislation starts with the assumption of achieving this critical goal and then requires the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL) and Energy (DOE) to work backward to project current and future workforce needs and shortages in the energy sector specifically. Rep. Delgado’s legislation also establishes a National Advisory Committee on the Clean Energy Technology Workforce, made up of representatives from labor organizations, employers from clean energy fields, academia, and environmental advocacy groups, tasked with advising DOL and DOE throughout the transition process.
Earlier this month, Rep. Delgado introduced the Gateway to Careers Act to create a career pathway grant program that would fund partnerships between community or technical colleges and workforce development partners such as state workforce development boards, industry associations, and community-based organizations. These programs would support efforts to offer wrap around services including child care, opioid addiction treatment, transportation, and other forms of assistance for community college and career and technical education (CTE) students.
Questar III BOCES delivers more than 275 educational and administrative services to 23 school districts in Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene counties. Questar III also provides statewide services to more than 640 school districts in New York. 99.4% of Questar III seniors graduate high school and 92.2% pass their technical endorsement.