A Focus on Collaboration with the New Sustainable Ulster Workforce Innovation Center

By the Office of the Ulster County Executive

KINGSTON, NY - In what is sure to become a national model for workforce development in the 21st century, plans continue to come together for the Sustainable Ulster Workforce Innovation Center at iPark 87 in the Town of Ulster.

Emphasizing the immense value of collaboration, the goal is to bring together, under one roof, Ulster County’s workforce and economic development departments, SUNY Ulster, SUNY New Paltz, Ulster BOCES, as well as employers, and community-based organizations. Together, these entities will develop curriculum, micro-credentials, apprenticeships, and other programs that create pathways for local workers into good-paying, family-sustaining jobs.

“We have an incredible and diverse array of resources in our county, but they have tended to work in their own silos,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “We're breaking down those silos to co-create educational and training programs and provide industry-recognized certifications and hands-on learning opportunities that lead directly to job placements.”

The Center itself will be a magnet for the kinds of investments encouraged in the county and beyond, including clean tech and renewable industries, sustainable products and services of all kinds, food and beverage industries, and tourism and film, among others.

A priority of this initiative is to ensure equitable access to educational, training, and job opportunities, and plans include free and robust public transportation, childcare, and connections to County services and supports where needed. 

A lease for 40,000 sq ft of space at iPark is currently being finalized and is expected to be signed in the near future. The County has applied for a major three-year grant from the state for strategic planning and start-up costs, and plans to move the County’s Economic Development, Employment and Training, and Tourism Departments to the Center after renovations to the leased space are completed later this year.

County Executive Jen Metzger first announced plans to create the Workforce Innovation Center at her State of the County Address last year, pointing out that “shifting to a green economy isn’t just good for our climate and our health — it is also a massive job creator.”

“This project is truly transformational for Ulster County, involving a unique collaboration of educational and community-based partners and businesses working together to equip our workforce with the training and skills necessary to take advantage of job opportunities in green tech and clean energy industries at iPark87 and across the County. These are the fastest growing sectors in the economy, thanks to state and federal efforts to tackle climate change, and we need to position ourselves to make the most of these opportunities,” said County Executive Metzger.