The Center for Innovation in Career Development

TechValleyCareers.org

Mission: The Center’s mission is to support appropriate career development through the design and delivery of innovative resources and programs that prepare students for the 21st century workplace.

History: The Center for Innovation in Career Development, formerly the Two-Year College Development Center, is affiliated with the University at Albany’s School of Education. For more than three decades the Center has pursued research and development activities to support education and career opportunities for students of all ages. In recent years, Center activities have focused on resources and programs to enhance career development, with an emphasis on opportunities for women and minorities in the fields of science, math, engineering and technology.

Supported with various external grant and contract funds, staff and consultants conduct a variety of research, development and service activities that meet the Center’s mission and program goals. Center staff and consultants work closely with an Advisory Committee, consisting of representatives from business and industry, education, economic development, chambers of commerce, and other local community organizations.

Programs: The Center currently supports the following projects with websites, resources and staff development activities:

• The Career Plan Training Initiative- supports implementation of the NYS Career Plan through development of training resources and facilitation of training workshops for a statewide network of Career Plan trainers.
  
  
• The Greater Capital District Tech Prep Consortium– works to promote seamless, non-duplicative instruction for students’ career studies and transition from secondary to postsecondary educational programs. The Consortium is comprised of 4 vocational schools, 4 two-year colleges, 1 four-year college, 34 school districts, and over 50 businesses.
  
  
• New York State GEARUP Project– is an initiative where the Center, through its Parents as Partners workshops, works with parents of middle school students enrolled in the Albany City School District. Parents learn about local education and career opportunities and strategies for helping their children make career decisions and plans. Resources include TechValleyCareers.org.
  
  
• The Nontraditional Employment and Training(NET) Project– promotes gender neutral educational strategies and practices through statewide technical assistance, as well as provides resources and staff development for both secondary and postsecondary educators and career specialists. The Vanguard Award is presented annually to students preparing for careers that are nontraditional for their gender.
  
  
• Techvalleycareers.org– is an online clearinghouse for information about high tech careers in the Greater Capital Region. Through this website, educators, students and parents are linked to education and career opportunities made possible by the high tech growth and expansion in Tech Valley.