NORTHLAND WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER (NWTC) TO RECEIVE $800,000 TO BOLSTER THE CLEAN ENERGY WORKFORCE IN WESTERN NEW YORK

Story originally published February 2024 via Niagara Gazette

Niagara Falls is set to receive $600,000 for a new teen center in LaSalle as part of a federal funding package announced this past week.

The funding supports the creation of a new teen center through renovations to a currently vacant building in LaSalle neighborhood through a collaborative effort between the City of Niagara Falls, the Niagara Falls City School District and the Niagara Falls Boys and Girls Club, according to a release from U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

The senators said, with the support of former Congressman Brian Higgins, they have secured $14,981,864 for Buffalo and Western New York in the soon to pass FY24 appropriations bills to bolster critical infrastructure and upgrade water systems, train the clean energy workforce at Northland and through GreenForce Training, support the University of Buffalo’s new research center, and more.

“This nearly $15 million in federal funding is making major investments in the future clean energy workforce, helping fix our aging water infrastructure, boosting public safety, and our top-notch university right here in Western New York and will build a stronger community in Buffalo and beyond. From UB leading us to the next frontier of scientific research to Northland’s workforce development center to critical infrastructure upgrades across the region, this is an investment in making sure we have the foundation for new growth and that Western New Yorkers have the skills to they need to ensure the region has a future brighter than its past ,” Schumer said. “This funding is making investments in our Western NY communities that need it most, creating new good-paying jobs, and a brighter, cleaner, and more sustainable future for families across the region. I am proud to secure this funding along with Senator Gillibrand, and sincerely thank my friend and partner former Congressman Higgins for helping to deliver on so many of these projects, his impact in WNY continues to be felt even after he’s gone and will be for years to come.”

Added Gillibrand, “Today, we are committing to putting millions toward improving transportation, revitalizing water infrastructure, enhancing public safety, and developing a highly trained workforce across Western New York. I’m proud to have fought to secure this funding, and I’ll continue to work tirelessly to make sure that Western New York families, workers, and businesses have what they need to thrive.”

The list of local projects funded in the soon to pass FY24 appropriations bills:

• $1.25 million for the University at Buffalo’s Center for Accelerated Innovation Through Materials — The funding will help establish the University at Buffalo Center for Accelerating Innovation through Materials (AIM), a materials innovation hub that will empower New York’s and the nation’s transition to a clean energy economy, connecting industry, educational, workforce and community partners to state of the art instrumentation and expertise needed to translate advanced materials science and engineering in a highly accelerated, robust manner, enabling the US to meet demands for innovation in clean energy industries and low-carbon manufacturing.

• $1 million for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to develop a battery electric bus rapid transit system along the length of Baily Avenue within the City of Buffalo.

• $1 million for the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to construct a multi-use trail along a segment of the Riverline – Del Woodlands bus line.

• $963,000 for the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office to replace its portable radio equipment — Funding will replace portable radios with new equipment to improve and upgrade communication between law enforcement officers.

• $959,752 for the Village of Lewiston to improve water resiliency and replace a century-old water main line to ensure system reliability for residential and business customers in Lewiston.

• $800,000 for the Northland Workforce Training Center (NWTC) to bolster the clean energy workforce in Western New York.

This funding will support NWTC’s efforts to attract, train, and empower individuals for careers in the burgeoning clean energy sector, increasing access to new, good-paying manufacturing jobs across the region by funding equipping workers with the skills needed to thrive in the rapidly expanding clean energy sector. The NWTC’s Experience Center, which is its innovation hub for hands-on-learning that aims to inspire high school students and adults seeking to enter or transition into clean energy careers by demonstrating how electricity is at the center of everyday life. With this federal support, the Center will be able to engage the future of the manufacturing and energy workforce outside of the classroom, enabling them to understand how power flows and jumpstarting their understanding of applications and knowledge that can’t be taught in school. The NWTC can then enroll students in a certificate or degree track and place them in a job that will pay a family sustaining wage.

• $550,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for operations and maintenance work at Wilson Harbor, specifically to assess needed repairs to the breakwater.

• $500,000 for the Town of Porter Waterline Improvement Project — The funding will assist with improvements to its water distribution system by replacing select waterlines with larger diameter pipes in five areas with a total of 14,700 linear feet of pipe replacement.

• $475,000 for SUNY Research Foundation to purchase, install, and deploy instruments that test the impact of extreme winds on critical infrastructure in Amherst.

• $195,000 for the Kenmore Police Department to upgrade its outdated dispatch, communication, and computer equipment.