Chancellor Malatras Expands SUNY for All Free Online Training Center by Adding a New Certification Program and Making Programs Flexible So Students Can Start at Any Time Throughout the Year

March 3, 2021

Adds a New Free Certification Program in Virtual Assistant Entrepreneur to Help Individuals Start Their Own Business; SUNY Now Offers More Than 20 Free Certifications in High Demand Fields

SUNY to Make Nine Certification Programs Available to Individuals to Start at Any Time Throughout the Year to Provide More Flexibility

Students Completing Online Training Programs with a High School Diploma or Equivalency are Automatically Accepted into One of SUNY's 30 Community Colleges, SUNY Empire State College, or SUNY Canton; Application Fees Waived

Photos from Today's Announcement Online Here

Binghamton, NY – State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras today announced the expansion of the SUNY for All free Online Training Center with a new free Virtual Assistant Entrepreneur certification to provide critical tools to individuals wishing to start a business. SUNY is now offering more than 20 free certifications in high demand areas of employment.

SUNY is also making nine certification programs, including the new Virtual Assistant Entrepreneur certification, available to students to start at any point of the year, providing flexibility to meet the needs of adult learners juggling multiple responsibilities. The programs are accessible online from home, or at one of SUNY's Advanced Technology Training and Information Networking (ATTAIN) labs or Educational Opportunity Centers.

The launch represents the next phase of Chancellor Malatras' SUNY for All campaign to broaden access to higher education for people across New York State—no matter where they are. Those who complete online training programs and who have a high school diploma or equivalency are automatically accepted into one of SUNY's 30 community colleges, SUNY Empire State College, or SUNY Canton. Those students will also have their application fee waived.

"We are facing equity gaps in education, with more underrepresented minorities having a higher percentage of some college yet no college degree. Seventy percent of all new jobs created will require some post-secondary education and unless we step up and break down barriers for all individuals in New York to have an educational opportunity, we will continue to perpetuate inequality in job opportunities as well," said Chancellor Malatras. "Our free Online Training Center is breaking down barriers, demystifying education, and empowering individuals to get the tools they need to get a job in a high-demand field—and since December when we launched this workforce training center 300 people have signed up and 600 more are about to join to get their education. Today's expansion will only help to support more people, and so it's a big day for SUNY and New York State."

Assembly Member Donna Lupardo said, "One silver lining of the COVID pandemic is that we've had to reinvent how programs and services are offered. The SUNY for All Online Training Center breaks down barriers that have prevented many people, particularly those in underserved communities, from taking the next step in their careers. I commend the Chancellor for his vision to work with our great local partners to expand SUNY programming to all New Yorkers."

Robert Murphy, Director of Broome-Tioga Workforce NY, said, "We proudly join and support the efforts of the SUNY for All Program that will provide courses from the best state university system in the United States to all New Yorkers, no matter where they live. The courses will serve to provide an opportunity to upgrade skills, obtain skills certification, and an entry ramp to a higher degree."

SUNY Broome Community College President Kevin Drumm said, "SUNY Broome has been a longtime partner with our local ATTAIN Lab, offering work skills training in many forms. We look forward to the added opportunities for ATTAIN's clients that this new SUNY initiative will bring about, and we thank SUNY for their leadership and our partners at ATTAIN."

Jennifer Lesko, Broome County Urban League Chief Executive Officer, said, "Since 2009 the Broome County Urban League has been successfully providing technology certifications, job training and job placement services to underserved individuals through our ATTAIN Labs. The Urban League is proud to be part of the SUNY for All initiative which will allow us to continue to assist individuals with programs and supports to lead them to gainful employment, post- secondary education, and self-sufficiency."

Beginning this week, prospective students can register for the nine, self-paced academic and career training programs, which include:

  • High School Equivalency
  • Virtual Assistant Entrepreneur
  • Child Development Associate
  • College Preparation
  • Civil Service Exam Preparation
  • Customer Service Professional
  • Emergency Telecommunications
  • Pre-vocational Studies
  • Teacher Assistant

Once a student signs up, they will work with SUNY's EOCs to determine their preparedness for the coursework, the support they will need to succeed, and the pace that's suitable for them. Academic counseling and support will be provided by the EOCs as well. Additional self-paced programs will be unveiled during the spring and summer semesters.

SUNY Student Advocate and Senior Advisor to the Chancellor John Graham said, "SUNY's mission to provide unparalleled student support is not, and cannot be, limited to the halls of our four-year colleges. It is our responsibility to provide resources and flexibility to every New Yorker who seeks a positive change in life through education. I commend Chancellor Malatras for his unwavering commitment to supporting our continuing learners at home and in their communities so that their time with SUNY can lead to future success."

Associate Provost and Director of the University Center for Academic and Workforce Development (UCAWD) Lisa McKay said, "EOCs are proud to stand up the academic and career training programs that deliver on the promise of SUNY for All by empowering upward mobility in New York's most vulnerable communities. For over five decades, our EOCs and ATTAIN technology labs have removed the barriers to education that prevent adult learners from reaching the next step in their educational and career journeys. We look forward to working with Chancellor Malatras to continue implementing high-quality asynchronous programs that will make a real difference in lives across our state."

SUNY's free Online Training Center offers certifications in college preparation, Allied Health, and business and advanced manufacturing programs. Coupled with success coaches, these online programs will help more New Yorkers earn a degree in secondary and higher education.

Additional student-focused initiatives under the SUNY for All campaign umbrella include:

  • Automatic application for the SNAP program for eligible EOC students;
  • Connection to food banks to fight food insecurity; and
  • Outreach and support for high school seniors eligible for the Educational Opportunity Program, including application fee waivers.

Through Chancellor Malatras' SUNY for All campaign, SUNY is reaching out to more New Yorkers, including:

  • 50,000 New York learners receiving an online education through out-of-state colleges;
  • 5 million New Yorkers between ages 25-44 that have no college degree; and
  • high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

SUNY began the SUNY for All campaign when it launched the free Online Training Center in December 2020. For more information, please visit www.suny.edu/sunyforall.

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.

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