The former Central Tech High School in Syracuse, N.Y., would be transformed into a new education and workforce training center, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed.
CNY Central reports that Cuomo wants a multipurpose facility that would house a regional high school and a worker training program administered by SUNY Empire State College, in partnership with other local schools.
The school would prepare students for modern careers through a skills-oriented curriculum focused on emerging technologies, project-based learning, and collaboration. It would serve about 1,000 students—250 students per grade.
The curriculum would be developed by local colleges including Syracuse University, Le Moyne College and Onondaga Community College, Cuomo says.
"As the resurgence of Central New York continues, the region today has a record number of jobs that employers often struggle to fill with qualified workers," Cuomo says. "This new high school of applied learning and workforce training program will create a pipeline of educated, highly skilled workers who are equipped to tackle jobs of the 21st century that are driven by technology and are growing in the region."
The workforce training program would offer high school equivalency, advanced technical certification, and college degrees with the goal of preparing any member of the community to enter emerging industries.
The building opened in 1903; it closed as a high school in 1975 and has been vacant ever since. The historic facility would be renovated before it reopened, Cuomo says.
The governor announced plans for the school as part of his 2020 State of the State address.
