Hudson Valley Community College Welcomes Gene F. Haas Center
TROY, N.Y.—Hudson Valley Community College recently held a grand opening ceremony for the $14.5 million Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills (CAMS). This 37,000-square-foot facility will allow the college to double enrollment from 144 to 288 students in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology A.O.S. degree program—and also meet a high workforce demand for skilled manufacturing employees in the region.
Hudson Valley’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology program readies graduates for careers as CNC machinists, toolmakers and industrial technicians, in addition to marketing, sales, procurement and supervisory roles. It’s the only community college training program of this kind within 125 miles and states a 100 percent job placement rate for graduates, with nearly all students securing work prior to graduation.
By 2020, more than 200,000 new openings are anticipated for machinists and industrial maintenance technicians nationally. With the opening of the new Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills, Hudson Valley will be well-positioned to help fill the shortage of well-trained, skilled craftspeople and assist manufacturing firms looking to expand, create new jobs and contribute to the region’s ongoing economic health.
CAMS is a one-stop manufacturing technology center that will train students on the newest machine tools, equipment, tooling and software needed for employment with manufacturers in the Northeast. The building’s design furnishes corporate partners with handy access to offices and conference space adjacent to faculty offices, student classrooms and labs. Facilities will be available for everything ranging from corporate demonstration purposes to shared training activities and meetings and events that connect the college to its workforce partners.
The Hudson Valley Community College Foundation endeavored for more than two years to secure gifts toward the construction of the venue, including a leadership challenge gift of $1 million from the Gene Haas Foundation, a longtime partner of Hudson Valley and provider of the equipment used in student training; a $2.9 million grant through Empire State Development as part of the New York State Regional Economic Development Council awards; and $1.5 million in federal funding through the U.S. Federal Economic Development Administration, as well as numerous contributions from other local partners, alumni and friends.
The college partnered with several local construction companies to build CAMS, which was designed by the Troy-based Mosaic Associates Architects. Contractors included: Bette & Cring Construction Group of Latham for general construction; Tri-Valley Plumbing & Heating, Inc. of Schenectady for plumbing; John W. Danforth Co. of Ballston Spa for mechanical; T&J Electrical Associates, LLC of Clifton Park for electrical; Comalli Group, Inc. of Albany for communications cabling; and Atlantic Testing Laboratories, Limited of Clifton Park for special inspections. The college broke ground on the building in April 2018.