FM’s Revitalized Business and Community Partnerships Program Expands Vision for Connecting Local Businesses and Adult Learners
Business and Community Partnerships: A new name with an expanded vision
From the revitalization of RAO Theater to new technology in the Radiologic Technology program, Fulton Montgomery Community College is undergoing a renaissance. The renewal extends to the center formerly known as Employer Services. The department, led by Director of External Partnerships and Applied Learning Daniel Fogarty, wanted a new name to reflect the center’s expanded strategic vision. Moving forward, businesses, community organizations, and students will collaborate for the common good under the banner of The Business and Community Partnerships Team.
A responsive outreach arm for mutual support and shared resources
The goal of Business and Community Partnerships is to responsively initiate and strengthen cooperation with local businesses like Verio Health and Euphrates, as well as organizations like Fulmont Community Action Agency and New York State Department of Labor. As Fulton Montgomery’s business outreach arm, the team will provide mutual support and shared resources to encourage and cultivate a stronger economy and greater opportunities.
The department has already designed a new website. The site is a platform to keep employers informed about campus services including individualized business planning, apprenticeships, workplace training, and events facilities. A weekly podcast offers up-to-the-minute information on BCP happenings, such as the October 14 virtual Human Resources Consortium.
“Really,” Fogarty says, “we want to do anything we can to help our local businesses, whether that’s providing services, expanding and building shared resources, or promoting local businesses to our students.”
Customized training to meet the needs of local businesses
Already, the department has developed two new certificates. The Quality Assurance Lab Technician Certificate supports both the cannabis industry and local dairy farms such as West Meadow and Euphrates. The Cultivation Technician Certificate is geared toward the cannabis field, a burgeoning industry represented by the local company Verio Health. As a model of the partnerships being built by BCP, Verio Health is training students onsite while they take courses at FMCC to supplement their training.
“This is very much an employees’ market,” Fogarty notes, “and so businesses need us more. We can train students in flexible, quick certificate programs where they can get done in a year and get to work at the job sites where they’ve trained. There are lots of companies out there yearning for workers, so it’s a win-win for students and employers.”
How can local businesses benefit from the Business and Community Partnerships Team?
If you’re a business leader, and you need trained people, reach out to the Business and Community Partnerships program. The team will schedule a meeting – either onsite or virtual, depending on your preference. Based on your needs, we’ll assemble a team to create short-term training certificates or apprenticeships or to promote your jobs to the degree programs we already have in place. The department designs meetings to meet your business’s specific requirements.
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