The governor of New York announced on Monday that the state has awarded $5 million in funding to community colleges to support the development and improvement of courses and programs specifically meant to help people secure jobs in the cannabis industry.
With the state set to launch adult-use cannabis retailers later this year, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said that the short-term funding initiative will help meet industry demand for a skilled workforce, and it will also support the administration’s mission of ensuring that there’s equity in market opportunities.
Three community colleges in the State University of New York (SUNY) System will receive $1 million each, and one City University of New York (CUNY) community college will get $2 million. Each of those campuses will serve as the cannabis education program lead, partnering with about a dozen other community colleges across the state.
The money will be used for non-degree and degree-eligible courses and programs, in addition to stackable credentials and microcredentials that will be designed to help local cannabis businesses find qualified candidates in the burgeoning industry.
“New York’s new cannabis industry is creating exciting opportunities, and we will ensure that New Yorkers who want careers in this growing sector have the quality training they need to be successful,” Hochul said in a press release. “Diversity and inclusion are what makes New York’s workforce a competitive, powerful asset, and we will continue to take concrete steps to help ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate in the cannabis industry.”
Read the complete article at www.marijuanamoment.net.