The Business Council and the Association of Presidents of Public Community Colleges have urged lawmakers to invest in workforce development that is employer-drven, locally delivered, easy to access and well-funded.

In a memo to legislators February 1, The Council and the Association also called for $50 million in state aid to business, economic development groups, and educational institutions to support consortia efforts to develop and deliver training.

The memo also urged the state to impose no geographic barriers on consortia receiving training grants, and said curricula for training developed at the request of consortia should not be subject to approval by SUNY or the state Education Department.

The memo also recommended restoring to $10 million the annual funding for the community college contract course program, under which employers can contract with community colleges to design and deliver company-specific training.