Northeast Regional Technical Training Center

About the Northeast Training Center

SUNY Cobleskill, through its Institute for Rural Vitality (IRV) has been at the forefront of the microcredential initiative preparing individuals with career readiness skills required in the workforce. With more than 2,000+ enrollments in the past 3 years, and an 87+% completion rate for microcredentials . The IRV has a proven track record of successfully educating participants, which includes individuals from underserved and disadvantaged populations. The delivery of these credentials is essential to meet current and future workforce development needs. Two strong partners in this field are the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) and the NYS Thruway Authority.

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to develop the workforce of the heavy equipment industry through the creation and delivery of non-traditional course offerings that are consistent with and complementary to credit-bearing course offerings.

Supporting the Mission:

Many of the technicians in the heavy equipment industry were not eager to enroll in a traditional college program when they first entered the workforce, which contributes to the industry's difficulty in finding qualified technicians. We have to promote education at the postsecondary level; however, we need to change the current mold. To diversify our educational offerings, we as a department have worked to develop a certificate program, industry training courses, countless industry partnerships, instructor development training, many micro-credentials, and have acquired hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of training aids, tooling, and other equipment. Doing all these things to support our mission has opened the door for endless opportunities and we need to capitalize on them. To perform these duties sustainably and profitably, we need support from outside of our department.

Partners We Work With:

The following industry partners have recently indicated an interest in participating in technical training being provided by the Northeast Regional Technical Training Center: 

Through SUNY Cobleskill’s partnerships and relationships with numerous companies in the heavy equipment industry. SUNY Cobleskill is able to develop curriculum that meets employer needs.

Testimonials:

“I liked the hands-on training and how the material we were learning was pertinent to our geographical location and issues.” 
“The learning environment was open and everyone felt comfortable being able to answer questions.”  
“Instructors were great about covering all aspects and catering to the group eager to learn.” 
 “The facilities were immaculate, and the labs had such a variety of equipment to use during labs.” 
“The classes all pertained to our jobs directly.” 
“I would highly recommend this program to anyone. The teachers were very knowledgeable and had a perfect ratio of class to lab to break.” 

- VT Agency of Transportation

“Simplification of Electrical Diagnostic Codes was by far phenomenal“ - Todd White NYS DOT Region 1

Microcredentials

SUNY Cobleskill currently offers a wide- range of Engineering Microcredentials from online courses to in person classes. Badges/ Microcredentials are digital credentials that can be shared with employers to validate individuals' skills and achievements. Microcredentials are often featured on LinkedIn, Facebook, resumes, and email signatures.

Why Microcredentials?

• Skills acquired in months instead of years
• Stand out in a competitive job market
• Stack microcredentials to earn credit toward a certificate or degree
• Stay updated with current developments within your field 

Cost?

• We offer non-credit microcredentials as well as credit-bearing microcredentials
• Cost is based upon the number of courses required for each microcredential