Dutchess Community College Awarded $3 Million

FISHKILL – Dutchess Community College (DCC) announced $3 million in grant funds from New York state to support capital improvements and programming to the Center of Excellence for Business, Industry & Innovation (COEBII) during a groundbreaking ceremony for its expansion on May 20, 2026.

The expansion at COEBII will allow DCC to offer more programming for in-demand industries, with hands-on learning opportunities. The College estimates the space will serve 450 students annually by 2030, strengthening workforce pipelines across the Hudson Valley.

Funded by Empire State Development’s (ESD) Upstate Revitalization Initiative (URI), the $3 million grant will significantly increase the College’s capacity at the current site by roughly 75,000 sq. ft., establishing a workforce development center with learning laboratories that provide hands-on training for students. The award builds on the nearly $2 million grant DCC received in March from New York state’s Office of Strategic Workforce Development’s (OSWD), as well as private investment from Central Hudson Gas & Electric. Additional funds from Dutchess County and the State University of New York (SUNY) have also contributed to COEBII. The funds collectively support this valuable work and expansion.

Together these investments pave the way for planned growth at COEBII to meet the demand for more workforce training and development programs at DCC to support the needs of adult learners and regional industry. Added spaces include:

• Establishing an Automotive Technology Education Center;
• Expanding the only Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) certified training program in the Hudson Valley;
• Growing capacity for clean technology certifications in the HVAC;
• Co-locating the Dutchess Academy for Mechatronics and Smart Technology PTECH;
• Developing a new Business and Entrepreneurship Resource Labs and events center;
• Formation of a new Cybersecurity/Artificial Intelligence Labs; and
• Launch new Construction and Architecture model labs.

“Years from now, the story people tell about this place will not really be about the expansion itself,” said DCC President Dr. Peter Grant Jordan. “It will be about what became possible because industry partners, Dutchess County and New York state, through Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration, chose to invest in students, workforce opportunity, and the long-term strength of our regional economy.”

Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council Executive Director Linda Malave shared: “Governor Hochul and the ESD are deeply committed to the future, and that is why it is an honor to announce that Empire State Development has awarded Dutchess Community College a $3 million Upstate Revitalization Initiative Award, in addition to the $2 million awarded from our office in March. This funding just doesn’t cover tuition – it supports wraparound services like transportation assistance, child care, academic support and more. Through this, we are removing the barriers to success to our local workforce.”

Susan Rogers, chief of staff and vice president of institutional effectiveness remarked on COEBII’s impressive growth and what it signifies for the future.

“When we opened the Mechatronics Lab in 2023, we saw how quickly students responded to hands-on, industry-connected learning opportunities,” she said. “This expansion builds on that foundation, creating additional space and capacity to strengthen workforce education and connect more students to high-demand careers across our region.”

The groundbreaking ceremony kicked off the first phase of the construction, expected to run through August and establish space for the programs slated to open this fall. The second phase will begin immediately after and will develop lab space for cybersecurity, architecture, construction and chemistry as well as faculty offices, event space and quiet areas for students to work and study. During that same period, the first floor will undergo construction to establish the Automotive Technology facility with vehicle bays and specialized lab space.