In The News

Kingston Center of SUNY Ulster Fall 2022 Open House on August 10 to Showcase In-Demand Career Programs

Modern Cut-and-Sew Program and Presentation on the History of Textile Manufacturing in the Hudson Valley Among Newest Offerings

July 27, 2022 – Kingston, NY – The Continuing and Professional Education department of SUNY Ulster is holding an Open House on August 10 from 4-7 pm. It will highlight many of the career programs and courses offered this fall including a new Cut and Sew microcredential.

The Cut and Sew program is ideal for those who want to start their own business or work for one of many Cut and Sew manufacturers in the Hudson Valley. Included will be a presentation by The Reher Center on their Kingston Sews display as well as a display by local Cut and Sew manufacturing company, Community Manufacturing Solutions.

The CNC Operator microcredential was created in response to the need for skilled CNC operators in the Hudson Valley. Working with The Arc Mid-Hudson, this program is inclusive of those in the community with Level I Autism. Comprised of two courses offered this fall: Fundamentals of Metrology and CNC Fundamentals, students will have the opportunity to earn a Haas Certification as well as the CNC Operator microcredential badge within only four months. Brian Healy, Director of Behavioral Health Services at the Arc Mid-Hudson will speak and answer questions that parents or students may have about the program.

NYSDOL registered apprentices and those already working in the manufacturing field can find out about courses to advance their careers.

CASAC instructor, Lisa Babb will present from 5-6 pm on the CASAC program starting this September. Included will be an overview of the course material and OASAS requirements to practice in NYS.

A free GED class will be held from 5-6 pm and again from 6-7 pm for those looking to try a class before registering.  Instructor Joann Dayton-Wolf will be available to answer questions about the program.

A free English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) class will be held from 5-6 pm and again from 6-7 pm for those who would like to sample a class before enrolling.

Many scholarships and grants are available to enable those in the community to train for a manufacturing career at little to no cost. Courses include CNC Programmer, CNC Operator, Advanced CNC, Fundamental Concepts of Metrology, Certified Production Technician, and Electrical Theory. Barbara Ann Livermore Reer, Assistant Dean for Workforce will be on hand to discuss scholarships and answer questions.

Program Coordinators will be on hand to assist potential students with questions on programs and registration for fall courses.

For more information, call the CE office at 845-339-2025.  To register for one of these info sessions, visit bit.ly/cefallinfosessions22.

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June 23, 2021 – Stone Ridge, NY – Registration is open for three open houses on SUNY Ulster’s Business, Criminal Justice, and Environmental Studies programs. Scheduled via Zoom at 5 p.m. to accommodate those who have summer or full-time jobs, these sessions will provide information on each program’s degrees, job outlook, financial aid and scholarships, internships, and more.

Environmental Studies Open House
Tuesday, July 6 at 5 p.m.
Discover how a degree in Environmental Studies prepares students for transfer to a four-year college and an in-demand career in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Watershed Region. Register at sunyulster.edu/environmentalstudies to receive the Zoom link.

Criminal Justice Open House
Thursday, July 15 at 5 p.m.

Gain information on how SUNY Ulster’s Criminal Justice degrees lead to a rewarding career in local and state law enforcement, corrections, and private sector investigative and public safety careers. Register at sunyulster.edu/criminaljustice to receive the Zoom link.

Business Department Open House
Thursday, July 15 at 5 p.m.

Learn how a business degree, certificate, or microcredential can lead to a flexible career with upward mobility. Register at sunyulster.edu/businesscareers to receive the Zoom link.

SUNY Ulster has developed a long and successful track record of offering two-year, as well as shorter skills-building certificates and microcredentials in fields with long-term growth projections for the region. In addition, the college will award over $500K in scholarships this year. Together with financial aid, over 70 percent of SUNY Ulster students graduate with no debt.

For questions about these Open Houses, any other SUNY Ulster program, or the admissions process, email esc@sunyulster.edu or call (845) 687-5022.

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January 7, 2021 – Stone Ridge, NY – The Gene Haas Foundation has awarded Ulster Community College Foundation, Inc. at SUNY Ulster a $10,000 grant to support scholarships for credit and non-credit students who are building their skills in the machinist industry. This is the third consecutive year SUNY Ulster has been awarded this grant funding to support students entering into Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Technologist training or a CNC machining-based engineering program. This grant allows scholarship recipients to change careers without a financial impact on their families. Locally there is an urgent workforce demand for skilled CNC labor.

Students enrolling in a CNC Technologist training or a CNC machining-based engineering program are encouraged to complete the online Foundation Scholarship application to apply for the Gene Haas Foundation Scholarship online with our Scholarship app.

SUNY Ulster courses eligible for scholarship funding are the CNC Programming Mill and Lathe (DCB 2213 for non-credit and MFG 106 for credit) or the CNC Operator II (DCB 2012 for non-credit and MFG 205 for credit) are eligible for scholarship funding.

Students at SUNY Ulster have the option of enrolling in a CNC Operator Microcredential or CNC Programmer Microcredential and both CNC credentials can be completed within a year. Local companies that employ CNC Operators include Bantam Tools, Stanfordville Machine, Sono-Tek Corporation, AMETEK, Inc., LoDolce Machine Co., Inc., Howmet Fastening Systems, Elna Magnetics, USHECO Inc., Fala Technologies, Fair-Rite Products Corp, MPI, Inc. and Saturn Industries, Inc. Statistics provided by ONET report that locally CNC Operators earn $21.77 per hour on average and CNC Programmers earn $26.71 on average.

To enroll in a credit bearing or a non-credit bearing CNC Programming course, please visit our Advanced Manufacturing pages.. For more information, please contact Barbara Ann Livermore Reer, Assistant Dean for Workforce at reerb@sunyulster.edu or 845-802-7171.  Courses start January 21st.

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The Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center (SBDC) continues to champion the needs of regional businesses, exceeding annual performance goals set by the Small Business Administration (SBA) in helping businesses launch, grow, and gain resilience.

In a year of turmoil for businesses because of the impact of COVID-19, SBDC served well over 1,100 clients, almost double their goal of 680. For many of these small businesses, SBDC business advisors aided clients in their understanding of and application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds or Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to keep their businesses afloat and employees paid during the pandemic.

Under SBDC guidance, clients were able to attain $27.4 million in funding for their ventures, about half of which were for COVID-related SBA help. The remaining funding is attributed to fulfilling normative business start-up or growth needs such as equipment, technology, or personnel. The $27.4 million in funding exceeds their goal by $6.4 million.

The top three industries that comprised SBDC’s clientele this past year are hospitality and food services, manufacturing, and retail. In addition, SBDC values diversity, equity, and inclusion serving a diverse population of regional clients with 13% of clients African American and 10% Latino. Every client is asked by the State to submit an evaluation of services received. SBDC achieved a 96% satisfaction rate.

Arnaldo Sehwerert, Regional Director shares, “SBDC’s free business counseling services has provided much needed support to local entrepreneurs for 35 years, during good and bad times. And, SUNY Ulster continues to assist in this contribution to the wellness of the local economy.”

The Mid-Hudson SBDC has a long-standing track record of providing exemplary work on behalf of clients. Three business advisors from the chapter were nominated for Counselor of the Year including Sam Kandel, Cathy Terrizi, and Cynthia Clune. Sam Kandel, who has been a business advisor with SBDC for over 18 years and is the highest awarded SBDC counselor in New York State was named Counselor of the Year.

Sam Kandel’s client, Pine Ridge Dude Ranch, was awarded SBDC Tourism Business of the Year. Mike Offner, who took ownership of the ranch after its owner passed away suddenly worked closely with employees to bring the ranch back to life under the guidance of SBDC’s Sam Kandel. Sam Kandel notes, “Serving the needs of the small business community in Ulster County is a distinct honor.  What we at the SBDC invest in time and energy with our clients, the community gets back in spades with investment, job creation, and economic prosperity.”

SBDC provides business counseling services free of charge to start-up and existing businesses. A joint venture between SUNY and the SBA, the Mid-Hudson chapter serves Ulster, Sullivan, Orange, Greene, Delaware, and Dutchess counties. Since their inception in 1985, their expert advisors have worked directly with more than 20,000 regional businesses, helping them to invest $716,870,750 in the area’s economy, and create or save 21,143 jobs.

The Mid-Hudson SBDC is located in Kingston at the Kingston Center of SUNY Ulster on Mary’s Ave. Visit the SBDC website, send an email, or call (845) 802-9150 to learn more about how SBDC can help you start or grow your business.

              November 24, 2020 – Stone Ridge, NY

SUNY Ulster will begin registering students for its online accelerated winter session, Winter*net on October 1, 2020. Winter*net classes run from December 26 to January 16, and are a quick and economical way to earn credits toward graduation.

Winter*net is open to students at any college. Visiting students can transfer these earned credits to the college they are attending.

SUNY Ulster’s Winter*net schedule includes online courses ranging from Science, Business, and Psychology to Spanish, History, and Math. Many of these classes are general education courses required to attain an undergraduate degree. The online and accelerated class format is ideal to help students get a jumpstart on the spring 2021 semester, complete a required course, or explore a new area of interest.

To learn more about Winter*net courses and register online, visit www.sunyulster.edu/winternet.

September 21, 2020 – Stone Ridge, NY