Governor Hochul Announces Opening of Push Buffalo’s First Green Jobs Training Center

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a ribbon cutting marking the official opening of the Sustainability Workforce Training Center, the region's first green job training center, on the West Side of Buffalo. The 2,500-square-foot facility - a project of PUSH Buffalo and Buffalo Neighborhood Stabilization Company (BNSC), and primarily funded by New York State grants - is a major investment for the West Side community and green workforce development. Creation of the region's first green jobs training facility will further PUSH Buffalo's mission to help meet climate and energy standards while also increasing access to clean energy-related job training and opportunities for members of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and disadvantaged communities. Over the next few years alone, PUSH expects that the Sustainability Workforce Training Center will at least double the number of its green workforce training program graduates, from 50 graduates per year to more than 100 per year.

"The green workforce revolution is here and Western New York is ready to meet the needs of sustainable businesses," Governor Hochul said. "By investing in green workforce development like PUSH Buffalo's new training center we can ensure the next generation of New Yorkers is prepared to fill the jobs of the future in our green economy."

PUSH Buffalo Executive Director Dawn Wells-Clyburn said, "Today marks a momentous occasion as we cut the ribbon on our Sustainability Workforce Training Center, a beacon of hope for the next generation marching into the sustainable revolution that frontline communities deserve. We are profoundly grateful to every stakeholder who offered unwavering support for this project including our funders - Governor Kathy Hochul, Empire State Development, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, M&T Bank, the Kataly Foundation - and our partners at the University at Buffalo's School of Architecture. This center, built with a cutting-edge building envelope and energy-efficient approach to heating and cooling, stands as a testament to our commitment to a cleaner and resilient future. Our comprehensive training curriculum will empower the workforce with the skills and knowledge to lead in sustainability, driving innovation, and be the positive change we need in our communities and beyond."

The Sustainability Workforce Training Center will train residents for careers in clean energy and sustainability, with a focus on sustainable building practices that create strong neighborhoods with quality, affordable housing. By expanding career options for BIPOC residents in the emerging sustainability field, the facility will also help address the racial wealth gap and provide opportunity in historically underserved communities.

The Sustainability Workforce Training Center was conceived, designed, and built as a direct expression of the Climate Act mandate for climate resiliency, economic equity, and a just transition away from fossil fuels. It stands as a model for cities across the state and nation for what the future of holistic sustainability implementation can look like in frontline communities.

Built on two vacant lots at 169 Arkansas Street and 298 Hampshire Street, the $2.5 million project provides a mix of flexible classroom, office, and meeting spaces. The building is designed to generate as much energy as it uses through an on-site PV solar system and a geothermal heating/cooling system, which will also serve as a learning laboratory for renewable energy training sessions. The Sustainability Workforce Training Center will also serve as the new home of PUSH's Community Hiring Hall, originally established in 2013, as a first-of-its kind social enterprise business model for entry-level construction and sustainability workers in our region.

PUSH Buffalo's Community Hiring Hall trains and places workers in the construction, renewable energy, and energy efficiency sectors. It also serves as the employer-of-record and assumes responsibility for workforce recruitment, screening, hiring, management, and administration. The Community Hiring Hall plays a critical role in training Buffalo's low-income residents that are under and unemployed, with an emphasis on marginalized communities of color. Trainees are matched with contractors to help in building relationships that will support long-term workforce development. To date, more than 224 of the Hiring Hall's former trainees have been employed by companies across Western New York.

The new SWTC will expand and improve the Hiring Hall's green workforce training, allowing hands-on training for the installation of clean heat technologies, solar and other renewable energy technologies, and energy efficiency upgrades that would address and improve energy conservation in much of Buffalo's housing stock.

The project is made possible thanks to funding from New York State and JPMorgan Chase. Empire State Development has committed more than $1.64 million to the project, including $1.2 million through a Western New York Workforce Development Challenge grant through Buffalo Billion II and $445,000 through a Regional Council Capital Fund grant. PUSH Buffalo also received a $137,817 grant from NYSERDA for the construction of the training center. In addition, PUSH Buffalo is a subrecipient of funding through a $323,156 workforce development and training grant issued by NYSERDA for a joint University at Buffalo/PUSH Buffalo initiative.

In addition, JPMorgan Chase today announced a $3 million philanthropic commitment to support PUSH Buffalo's work to decarbonize affordable housing. PUSH Buffalo will build and rehab climate resilient affordable housing with the help of skilled workers trained by the Sustainability Workforce Training Center.

Empire State Development President, CEO & CommissionerHope Knight said, "As Western New York's first green jobs training facility, the SWTC will build on PUSH Buffalo's established workforce development program in the rapidly growing renewable energy and green construction trades. The center's focus on residents from marginalized communities will encourage and broaden access to jobs and sustainable career paths that will support families now and for the future."

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, "NYSERDA is proud to support the construction of PUSH Buffalo's net-zero energy training facility which will utilize the latest energy efficiency technologies to ensure a healthy environment for those learning inside the building, as well as for residents and families living close by. I also commend PUSH Buffalo for its efforts to establish a unique learning model that will provide valuable training to students and residents from environmental justice areas - giving them the skills they need to pursue stable, family-sustaining clean energy careers."

State Senator Sean Ryan said, "I want to thank Governor Hochul, Empire State Development, NYSERDA, PUSH Buffalo, and all who were involved in making the Sustainability Workforce Training Center a reality. This project is a solution to two of the biggest challenges we face here in Buffalo and in New York State. We need more skilled workers, and we need to do everything we can to combat climate change. With this workforce training center, it's all going to be happening right here in the City of Buffalo. For young people, and especially young people of color who are underrepresented in the skilled trades, this center is an investment in the future."

Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, "The opening of PUSH Buffalo's new Sustainability Workforce Training Center is further proof of New York's unwavering commitment toward a greener, more equitable economy. This one-of-a-kind green jobs training facility will move our state toward reaching its ambitious environmental protection targets, while also investing in marginalized communities most under threat from the damaging effects of a warming climate. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her continued advocacy for a greener, more sustainable New York, and I look forward to how the new SWTC will prepare our region's next generation of workers for progressive and varied job opportunities."

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said, "The green workforce of tomorrow is taking shape today and thanks to Governor Hochul the Sustainability Workforce Training Center will play a central role in it by producing graduates that will help Erie County grow into a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. The SWTC opens opportunities for residents in underserved communities to gain skills in sustainable building and clean energy practices, skills that will be critical to our community in the future. The opening of the Center is great news for Erie County and a key step towards building a more resilient, energy-efficient and green Erie County."

Erie County Legislature Chairwoman April N.M. Baskin said, "I am thrilled for the opening of PUSH Buffalo and Buffalo Neighborhood Stabilization Company's new Sustainability Workforce Training Center. This workforce training center represents a significant investment in our community. It will provide essential training and resources in green and clean energy for our community that will ensure job readiness for the future while advancing economic and environmental justice."

JPMorgan Chase Global Philanthropy Vice President Marco Villegas said, "Far too many residents from underserved communities face systemic barriers to accessing affordable, sustainable housing. That's why supporting PUSH Buffalo's initiatives is more than just financial support-it's a commitment to empowering Buffalo's West Side residents, enhancing their living conditions, and supporting their families. Together, we aim to drive inclusive economic growth and create healthier, more sustainable neighborhoods."

University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning Associate Professor Nick Rajkovich said, "It is incredibly rewarding to see this all-electric, zero-net-energy training center open on the site of an abandoned gas station. To me, the building embodies the larger transitions our society will need to make toward a just, regenerative, and zero carbon future."

Contact the Governor's Press Office