A graduation ceremony was held at the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology on September 12, recognizing 58 graduates from Stony Brook University’s Corporate Education and Training (CET) Transitional Professional Certificate Program: Wall Street and Beyond. CET is part of the Office of the Vice President for Economic Development.
Stony Brook was one of the first academic institutions nationally to respond to the Wall Street crisis. Partnering with three Work Force Boards, the Stony Brook University Career Center, the Project Management Institute Registered Education Provider – Total Systems Education, the U.S. Green Building Council, the National Association of Home Builders and others to train more than 800 dislocated professionals. The program has a 40 percent placement rate, surpassing the national average of approximately 17 percent.
This unique program was introduced via a pilot in March 2009 as a rapid response to the economic crisis. Streamlining the process, the University was able to access American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds quickly to assist those experiencing job losses from the fiscal crisis. Funding came from the Workforce Investment Act Funds, National Emergency Grant, ARRA. In addition, the program was recently awarded $36,000 under the Governor’s Regional Economic Development Council’s Consolidated Funding Application Process.
After ARRA funds were depleted in July 2009, the program was revised into a sustainable model that continues to provide certifications and skills opening up opportunities for re-entry into the workforce. CET continues to serve as many professionals as possible despite reduced funding.
“Transitional professionals possess rich, deep and diverse work experiences and are faced with the extremely challenging task of reentering an uncertain workplace,” said CET Executive Director Patricia Malone. “We are most appreciative to the workforce, business and economic partners who have given their time and expertise to support us in creating a program that offers a beacon of hope, possibility and connectivity to employment opportunities.”
The program includes a fully functional Zebranet website portal for exclusively professional-level positions as well as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) training, Green Building and Building Performance Institute (BPI) Energy Auditor training.
Professionals can earn certificates in Project Management, Business Analysis, LEED, and can take courses in Green Building and BPI Energy Auditing.
In 2010 the program and its partners were honored with the PMI Continuing Professional Education Provider of the Year award from The Project Management Institute, the University Professional Continuing Education Mid-Atlantic Region Industry Partner Program of the Year, and the National Association of Counties Green Jobs Training Program of the Year.
Stony Brook CET is located in the Advanced Energy Center at Stony Brook Research and Development Park. For more information, call (631) 216-7518 e-mail sbucet@stonybrook.edu or visit the CET website.
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