Northland Workforce Training Center builds $4.2M clean tech lab

Story originally published June, 2026 via Buffalo Business First

The Northland Workforce Training Center is constructing a training space for a new building maintenance program anticipated to begin in the fall.

Northland received $4.2 million in grants and sponsorships for a new clean technology lab that will have a “building inside a building,” according to president and CEO Stephen Tucker.

That part of the building will be left with some of the roof, walls and insulation exposed for training purposes, and it will feature a variety of energy sources, like wind and solar, an electric vehicle charging station and battery storage solutions. The construction of the space is underway and expected to be completed in July.

“It was a program that I wanted to develop based on the demand locally for building maintenance technicians,” Tucker said. “The big commercial developers, like Uniland or Benderson, need building technicians to check on their buildings or if there’s an issue with the heating or plumbing. Developers, but also municipalities, schools or hospitals, need building engineers, and we don’t have enough of them for all the commercial buildings we have.”

Tucker said the two-semester course is being taught by Alfred State College, which is in the process of getting it approved by the state’s Department of Education. Northland can’t start recruiting for the fall semester until it’s approved, Tucker said.

The need for more trade skilled employees is apparent at Northland, which is also adding cohorts to high-demand programs and growing enrollment, graduates and job placements. Tucker said Northland just had its largest graduating class of over 200 students and all of its classes are full, with wait lists for electrical, welding, auto technician and HVAC.

“We’ve also increased our deployment of short-term programs as well,” he said.

The center is in its fourth cohort of a 12-week CNC machining program that was developed by industry partners that needed entry-level employees. It also added a second cohort to the HVAC program, which was new in 2025.

One new program for finishing and deburring was established after industry partners involved in the Western New York Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition said that was one of the most challenging positions to fill. Tucker said Casey Machine, Keller Technologies, Moog, T&T Metals and Willard worked together to create the curriculum, with promises to hire those who complete it. It’s now in its third year, has two cohorts and a 100% job placement rate.

Similarly, the auto tech program is in its second year, and has graduated 45 students who predominately get jobs at local dealerships, Tucker said.

“These outcomes continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of our workforce development model,” Tucker said.

Since it opened in 2018, Northland has enrolled about 1,700 students, with a 67% graduation rate, according to Tucker. Among the graduates across all Northland programs, 90% have secured full-time jobs.

“These outcomes have generated a meaningful economic impact for the region while helping employers address critical workforce shortages,” Tucker said. “As of June 30, 2026, NWTC job placements have a combined economic impact of more than $200 million in wages added to the local economy.”