Apr. 30—WATERTOWN — Empire State Development has announced a $4 million award that will support a $13 million project at Jefferson Community College aimed at keeping Fort Drum soldiers and their spouses in the area upon completion of their military service.
The Dulles Building on JCC’s Coffeen Street campus will be renovated and outfitted as the Next Move NY Vocational Training and Job Readiness Facility, which will enhance offerings at the college and further develop the workforce pipeline for transitioning soldiers and their spouses to attain them attain local employment, according to ESD.
The award is part of the $10 million Next Move NY Initiative developed by the North Country Regional Economic Development Council and announced by Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul in December 2023.
Advocate Drum will also receive a $600,000 grant for development of its planned Live, Love, Stay Program, which will be focused on getting soldiers and their families to consider putting down roots in the north country after they separate from service, and to build careers and futures in the region.
“ESD and the North Country REDC are working hard to build a workforce pipeline for transitioning Fort Drum soldiers to New York’s job market,” said Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said in a statement. “These awards to JCC’s Next Move NY Vocational Training and Job Readiness Facility and Advocate Drum’s Next Move NY Live, Love, Stay Program will help keep veterans in New York State, fuel economic growth and open new opportunities in the region.”
According to ESD, as the closest academic institution to Fort Drum, JCC is well-positioned to offer new, high-demand programming in engineering technology, mechatronics, advanced manufacturing and the skilled trades.
The college will renovate and outfit the Dulles Building to accommodate such programming. ESD said the investment aims for an anticipated 13% increase in JCC enrollment overall, 45% increase in veteran and active-duty enrollment and a 15% increase enrollment for soldiers/spouses transitioning from Fort Drum.
The renovated facility and investment will also enable JCC to develop educational programs in critical workforce and trade skills areas, addressing the needs of regional employers, while supporting transitioning military members and their families.
“We are honored to receive this significant support through the Next Move NY initiative,” JCC President Dan Dupee said in ESD’s statement. “This investment will allow us to establish a state-of-the-art Job Readiness Facility dedicated to supporting Fort Drum soldiers, veterans, and their families as they transition to civilian life. This facility will not only strengthen our college but also bolster the regional workforce and create new pathways for success in high-demand careers.”
With its grant, Advocate Drum — also known as Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization or FDRLO — will work with the Development Authority of the North Country to establish the administrative framework to implement the Next Move NY Live, Love, Stay Program.
According to ESD, it is hoped that by working with local partners to highlight the various cultural and recreational amenities the North Country has to offer, soldiers and their families can see themselves as part of the community and decide to transition to civilian employment locally after their military service is completed.
Advocate Drum will also work with Adirondack North Country Association to provide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programming for local businesses interested in welcoming, hiring and retaining a diverse workforce.
“Advocate Drum is very excited to be a partner in the Next Move NY program, helping retain the talented transitioning soldiers and their families here in the North Country,” Advocate Drum Executive Director Michael S. McFadden said in the statement. “I can’t think of a better way to grow our local workforce than to recruit some of America’s best, our former Soldiers and families of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum.”
Both the JCC and Advocate Drum projects are priorities outlined by the North Country REDC in the Next Move NY initiative. DANC was previously awarded $3.94 million to establish the administrative framework to implement the Next Move NY regional plan and to help build the most robust transitioning soldier and spouse retention pipeline in the country.
DANC is also establishing an office at 124 Franklin St. in JCC’s $3 million education and entrepreneurial center, called The Nest, to assist Fort Drum soldiers and spouses with accessing Next Move NY offerings.
Fort Drum is the largest Army installation in the Northeastern U.S. and New York state’s largest single site employer, with nearly 15,000 active-duty service members.
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