FLCC expands community education to libraries

FLCC expands its rural outreach program by offering manufacturing and computer courses at the Clifton Springs Library and Macedon Public Library.

Finger Lakes Community College will expand its rural outreach program by offering manufacturing and computer courses this fall at the Clifton Springs Library and Macedon Public Library.

“As the library director and vice president of Wayne County Business Council, I am acutely aware of patrons who would like to improve their earning power and businesses who are looking for people to fill mid-level positions,” Stacey Wicksall said of her library’s decision to join the project.

“These are the sorts of positions that require some training beyond high school, but not a four-year degree. The FLCC GRIT program makes it possible to connect the two by offering convenient and rapid certifications in the skill areas local businesses urgently need, and it can all be done while at the library,” she added.

GRIT is the name of the outreach project and stands for Growing Rural Infrastructure Together. It is part of a national pilot project to overcome barriers to education in rural areas.

GRIT began in January 2022 with manufacturing courses at the Bloomfield Central School District Operations Center and the Yates County Workforce Development Office in Penn Yan. Both the Bloomfield and Penn Yan locations will continue to offer classes. FLCC will also offer the same courses at its Geneva and Newark campus centers, for a total of six sites, including the libraries.

Classes run from Sept. 6 to Dec. 15, and grant funding is available to cover costs for most students.

Classes will be offered via videoconference using technology that allows for real-time interaction among the instructor, all six class sites, and students who prefer to join from home.

The course offerings provide foundational skills necessary for positions in high demand among local employers. They are as follows:

• Foundations in Advanced Manufacturing covers core industry, safety, and quality assurance knowledge and skills used in the most advanced manufacturing occupations. Students use virtual reality headsets to practice certain skills. Graduates receive the nationally recognized certified production technician credential. The course will be offered Monday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Computing in the Information Age covers computer concepts, technology, and emerging issues and includes hands-on practice in word processing and the use of spreadsheet, database, and presentation software. It will be offered Tuesday and Thursday from 2 to 3:20 p.m.
• Core Word, Excel and PowerPoint covers basic skills in these specific Microsoft Office applications and prepares students to take the Microsoft specialist certification test. It will be offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

For more information, local residents can fill out a form online at Finger Lakes GRIT or call (585) 785-1670. The College will hold information sessions in person and online to explain the courses and assist with the application for funding. Students may take more than one course.

Michael Sanza of Bloomfield, a student at Rochester Institute of Technology, uses a virtual reality headset as part of the certified production technician class, the first to be offered in FLCC’s GRIT rural education outreach program. Photo by Rikki Van Camp

FLCC was one of five colleges across the country to receive funding from a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, Education Design Lab, to develop and test models for delivering education and training in small towns and villages.

“For example, having sites ranging from Macedon in Wayne County to Penn Yan in Yates County reduces transportation time and cost,” explained Todd Sloane, FLCC director of workforce development, “and outfitting community sites with videoconferencing technology makes the classes accessible to those without computer equipment or internet service at home.”

A total of 12 students graduated from the initial pilot, completing certified production technician classes in Bloomfield and Penn Yan and from their homes. Eleven of the graduates are currently working in advanced manufacturing.

“The GRIT pilot provided opportunities for career training and advancement to Yates County residents who would otherwise not have been able to attend a traditional training course,” said Joe Davis, Yates County Workforce Development employment and training supervisor. “This model provides limitless potential to meet the needs of learners and businesses, without the obstacle of needing a full classroom of students to be in one location.”

Community sites can offer additional support to those enrolled in the program, Macedon Public Library Director Stacey Wicksall noted.

“We have the space, the parking and are even located between a high-quality daycare and the Pal-Mac Intermediate School, so parents may be able to more easily arrange taking classes while children are safely cared for at daycare or school,” she said. “We also have a digital privacy booth that can be used at other times for any student who may need to arrange for any sort of virtual, one-on-one assistance. Finally, the staff at the library are always eager to help patrons use technology or to seek out resources. Here students will have a built-in support system each time they walk through the door.”