Short term training for long term success at SUNY Niagara

February 14, 2020

SUNY Niagara now has additional opportunities for students looking to further their education and start a successful career.  The Gaining Occupational Academic and Leadership Skills (G.O.A.L.S.) Program funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant offers essential hands-on training and practical skills to people between the ages of 18-24 in the following programs: Hospitality, Machine Tool 1, Medical Billing, Pharmacy Technician, and Pre-Apprenticeship.  These training programs are shorter than a typical degree and certificate programs, with classes offered in the evenings.

The WIOA grant provides students the opportunity to receive tuition and textbook assistance, NFTA transportation, academic support, monetary incentives, counseling and career guidance, and guaranteed interviews upon completion of the course.  Additional benefits of the program include networking opportunities, job and college readiness training, credit for prior learning, and state certifications that lead to employment with higher wages and careers in high-demand occupations.

The first cohort of G.O.A.L.S. students currently in the Pharmacy Technician program is learning the skills necessary to become assistants to Pharmacists in a variety of settings including retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, the insurance industry, and the pharmaceutical sales industry.  Students complete 73 hours of instruction that prepare them for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam.  The license obtained from this exam is required to work in 24 states and is recognized in all 50 states as the standard for providing higher wages and access to a wider array of careers in those states.

For more information on the G.O.A.L.S. Program at SUNY Niagara, visit niagaracc.suny.edu/wd.  To get details on program eligibility, contact Rhonda Bivins-Talley, WIOA Grant Program Director at 716-614-6284 or via email at rbivins-talley@niagaracc.suny.edu.