(WNY News Now) – JCC and Jamestown BPU join forces to equip workers with cutting-edge skills in Building Automation Systems, bridging the gap between industry demand and workforce readiness.
The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has provided Jamestown Community College (JCC) a $50,000 grant for successfully developing and implementing a Building Automation Systems (BAS) Program in its Workforce Development Division at both the Jamestown and Olean Campuses. The program is part of the Retool WNY initiative launched through the Accelerate the Southern Tier program, a multi-year grant funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
The funding is the culmination of four years of work in curriculum development, recruitment and training of faculty, student recruitment and the successful completion of the program by 23 students in the last half of 2024.
“NYSERDA’s funding has certainly played a pivotal role in advancing our program, particularly in the areas of clean energy and automation,” said Grant Umberger, Director of Workforce Development at the Jamestown Campus. “A number of initiatives that are now underway on our campuses are built on the success of the NYSERDA grant and will add to the range of training opportunities in clean energy and skilled trades,” he continued.
JCC Vice President for Workforce Development Holger Ekanger commented, “The need for the BAS program was initially identified through a feasibility study funded by the Ralph Wilson Jr. Foundation that focused on potential new programs targeting middle-skills, middle-wage jobs in four sectors: agribusiness, clean energy, culinary & hospitality, and robotics & automation. A large number of employers participated in the study, and many have stayed engaged.”
Ekanger continued, “As an example, Siemens Smart Infrastructure connected us to national initiatives and resources and made a commitment to interview and ideally hire program graduates. The BPU partnership through the NYSERDA funding is a perfect example of a collaborative response to industry needs.”
BPU General Manager David L. Leathers pointed to the community’s need for building maintenance staff with training and certification in integrated building controls. “As companies look to connect their lighting, HVAC, security and fire systems into a single control system, there will be an increased need for BAS technicians. This certificate program is important to the success of our regional manufacturers and hopefully will help attract and retain technicians in our area,” he said.
BPU Deputy General Manager-Electric Division Kristofor Sellstrom assisted the JCC team with the BAS program design as part of the Retool WNY initiative, that grew out of the “Accelerate the Southern Tier” grant.
“This program provides an excellent opportunity for maintenance workers and technicians to gain important new skills,” Sellstrom said. “The career opportunities and earnings potential in the BAS field are impressive. Manufacturers and large commercial building owners will continue to integrate building controls, adding to the potential for job growth in this area.”
NYSERDA Director of Commercialization Stephen Bravo said, “NYSERDA investments act as a market catalyst to commercialize clean energy technologies and develop long-term implementation support. We are pleased with the success of this partnership between the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and Jamestown Community College (JCC) in creating workforce development and training opportunities for the next generations of workers needed to advance and maintain innovative building automation systems.”
The training kits required for the BAS classes are portable, allowing JCC the flexibility to provide this training at any of its campus sites. There are 120 hours of hands-on training in the program, with a focus on installation, repair and maintenance of computer-based control systems. The program is ideal for individuals responsible for commercial or residential building maintenance or those working in the electrical, HVAC or plumbing trades.
The next BAS cohort is scheduled to start March 18 with class meetings on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Details can be found on the JCC website: https://www.sunyjcc.edu/workforce/manufacturing/building-automation-systems
The BPU is planning a Retool’25 Conference on June 3 that will feature discussions on energy efficiency and clean energy manufacturing. The conference will be held at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel with co-sponsors NextCorps and Scale for ClimateTech. For details, contact BPU Business Development Coordinator Ellen Ditonto at businessdev@jamestownbpu.com.
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