Collaboration Garners $9.3 Million in Shared Funding for Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn College, and Kingsborough Community College

Brooklyn, NY – Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn College, and Kingsborough Community College will receive $9.3 million in shared funding to create a healthcare career hub in Central and South Brooklyn. The healthcare career hub will:

• Expand and enhance the healthcare workforce in Central and South Brooklyn;
• Build a healthcare career pipeline for high school and college students, and;
• Match well-prepared graduates with healthcare employment opportunities.

The award is part of New York State’s Workforce Development Initiative, which is launching its second round of funding to help New Yorkers find well-paying and meaningful employment in a variety of fields. New York State plans to roll out $175 million in total funding for the program across the State.

At a press conference held at Brooklyn College on July 28, 2021, New York State Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the funds will support strategic regional efforts to help New Yorkers find quality jobs while meeting the workforce needs of local businesses.

Medgar Evers College President Patricia Ramsey joined Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson, Kingsborough Community College President Claudia Schrader, CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, and New York State Senator Kevin Parker to celebrate the collaboration.

City University of New York Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “Workforce development is a critical investment toward rebuilding and revitalizing New York with a broad range of economic development programs that will allow our students to train for the jobs of today and tomorrow, expand opportunities to partner with regional employers, and enable our graduates to play a key role in the recovery of the City and region. With the support of Governor Cuomo and New York State, CUNY will contribute the expertise and human resources needed to help fuel the City’s economic recovery.”

This $9.3 million investment in health and life sciences will renovate facilities and expand academic course offerings at the high school and college levels. These efforts will support a workforce ecosystem that will prepare over 9,000 students in Central and South Brooklyn for careers in healthcare and allied health professions. The healthcare field employs the largest number of workers than any other sector in Brooklyn, and yet there is an unprecedented need for skilled workers across positions at all levels.

Medgar Evers College President Patricia Ramsey said, “This funding is particularly relevant for students who are interested in healthcare-related careers. As the pandemic still looms, the demand for qualified healthcare workers continues to grow exponentially. The coronavirus also continues to amplify the disparities in access to quality healthcare within communities of color.

“Medgar Evers College is an institution that has social justice in its DNA. One of our key objectives is to close the gap in health equity. Students of color are under-represented in STEM and the healthcare fields, and this award will allow us to make significant progress in achieving parity in those areas. Most importantly, students will have the opportunity to make a difference in their home communities. Over 70% of our students are from Brooklyn, and this initiative will benefit neighborhoods from the south to the north of the borough, with Medgar Evers College seated at the center.

“I would like to thank Gov. Cuomo, Lt. Governor Hochul, and CUNY Chancellor Matos Rodríguez for facilitating this collaboration among three CUNY colleges in Brooklyn. I would also like to thank Dr. Michelle Anderson and Dr. Claudia Schrader for welcoming me as a fellow president. Our work will be especially impactful because of our strong partnership and shared vision to prepare our students for bright futures.”

About Medgar Evers College
Located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Medgar Evers College offers both associate and baccalaureate degrees. A four-year college within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, Medgar Evers College was established in 1970 with a mandate to meet the educational and social needs of the Central Brooklyn community. In its commitment to providing students with a sound academic foundation as well as an opportunity for personal development, Medgar Evers College offers high quality, professional, career-oriented undergraduate degree programs in the context of a liberal arts education. For more information, visit www.mec.cuny.edu.

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Media Contact: Giulia Prestia | gprestia@mec.cuny.edu | 718.270.5075