Category Archives: Education / Training

By Christine Graf

New York State P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) programs have been designed to address critical skilled labor shortages that are impacting manufacturing and technology companies throughout the state.

Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative (WSWHE BOCES) was the first to offer the program locally. It is called Southern Adirondack P-TECH.

“We were one of the first 16 cohorts (partnerships) in New York state to receive a seven-year grant to create the program. We received the grant in 2013, and that was a planning year for us. Our first cohort of students started in 2014 and are graduating this year,” said Kim Wegner, lead coordinator for Innovative Programs at WSHWHE BOCES.

“There wasn’t a lot of guidance. It was a thought and idea based off a program that launched in 2009 at a school in Brooklyn. (The state) decided they wanted to expand program across state. There were some guidelines, but we built the program as we moved through it. Where we are today is not where we were six or seven years ago.”

Maria Nissi of Queensbury has been accepted as an associate member of the  Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).

She is now available for consulting with students in the region. Nissi provides consulting to help students find personal development paths, via selection of  college programs best suited to them.

Associate members are professionals in the process of transitioning to a career in educational consulting. 

SUNY Empire State College’s Immersive Cloud Learning (ICL) has emerged as a way for its students to get broader access to expert professors.

ICL offers in-person instruction at multiple locations simultaneously, through the use of  high-definition video and audio technologies. ICL classroom spaces are designed specifically to promote collaboration, content sharing and dialogue between faculty and students. Each space accommodates up to 20 students.

ICL is featured in the inaugural issue of “A View from the Edge,” a magazine published by NJEdge that spotlights emerging trends and technologies in higher education.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

Despite living in an age with so many types of communication, more and more businesses are looking to professionals to help them zero in on making communication more effective in the workplace.

Many business advisors say if communications are made a top priority, success will be that much more obtainable.

Leslie Kendall of Kendall & Associates Organization Development in Queensbury, said with communication comes the importance of team building. She said the process of team building  is not difficult, it just takes commitment. 

Michael Cruz of Lighthouse Advisors LLC in Queensbury said the best advice he gives to companies looking to improve communication is to simply be honest. He said many organizations make the mistake of talking around issues. He said they have to be able to communicate by talking directly to people instead of talking around them.

“Figure out your goals and what each person’s contribution is. You are all in this together,” he said.

Kendall said she helps organizations develop a path to success by developing a list of what their priorities are. This is done through using proven problem-solving methods that identify and prioritize potential obstacles. Her company provides workshops in grant writing, proposal development, team building, and working through changes in management.

SUNY Adirondack and the University at Albany signed an agreement on May 4 that will grant participating students dual admission to science, technology, engineering and math programs at both institutions. Officials said students who choose to participate in the program...