Officials from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) joined with representatives from Nassau Community College and Suffolk County Community College to announce a new community college scholarship program. The LIPA Scholarship is designed to provide education and training for students from households with incomes below the median income of Long Island and the Rockaways (approximately $100,000 for a family of four) living in historically underserved communities.
The LIPA Scholarship is a $350,000 commitment over the next five years to provide 50 full scholarships for students to attend either Nassau or Suffolk County Community College to obtain an associate’s degree or certificate that will help them pursue a career in the electric utility or clean energy sectors.
This investment is an effort to ensure that our workforce represents all the communities LIPA serves and that all of our customers can participate in the growing career opportunities available in the electric utility and clean energy industry.
Thomas Falcone, Chief Executive Officer of LIPA, said: “Electricity is the clean fuel of the future. Studies predict electricity will provide more than 70 percent of New York’s energy needs by 2050, and that it will be entirely carbon-free. With this growing industry, LIPA’s commitment to fund 50 scholarships at Nassau and Suffolk Community College over the next five years will ensure that our workforce represents all the communities LIPA serves, and that all our customers can participate in the fabulous and growing career opportunities available in the electric sector.”
Dr. Edward T. Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College, said: “The Long Island Power Authority’s generous scholarships will help us recruit and sustain students entering the STEM fields transforming our workforce and our region’s economy. With this support, LIPA joins the college in bridging our promising students from financial need to the high-need, high-wage disciplines that lead to a rewarding career.”
Dr. Maria Conzatti, Interim President of Nassau Community College, said: “Together with LIPA, Nassau Community College is pleased to meet the workforce development needs of our business partners and the educational aspirations of the Long Island community.”
The curricula offered at Nassau Community College and Suffolk County Community College include courses relevant to the work LIPA does to meet the clean energy goals set by New York’s Climate Act, as well as to fulfill LIPA’s mission of providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy to Long Island and the Rockaways.
The LIPA Scholarship will support income-qualified, graduating high school seniors, allowing them to extend their educational development and enter the utility and clean energy sectors. Participation in the LIPA Scholarship will provide graduates with a competitive edge in applying for employment at LIPA and its contractor, PSEG Long Island, who plan to hire hundreds of entry-level workers over the next five years.
This five-year program will provide annual funding for ten full-time, two-year scholarships for low- to moderate-income students who reside in disadvantaged communities, as identified by New York’s Climate Justice Working Group, planning to attend Nassau Community College or Suffolk County Community College. Residents of the following communities served by LIPA are eligible for the LIPA Scholarship:
Nassau County
- Westbury Village, New Cassel, Elmont, Hempstead Village, Uniondale, East Meadow, Valley Stream Village, South Valley Stream, Inwood, Oceanside, Roosevelt, Long Beach City, Glen Cove City, and East Massapequa
Suffolk County
- Huntington Station, East Farmingdale, Wyandanch, West Babylon, North Amityville, Copiague, Lindenhurst Village, Brentwood, Islandia Village, Bay Shore, North Bay Shore, Central Islip, Ridge, Patchogue Village, Yaphank, Shirley, Mastic, Calverton, Flanders, Westhampton Beach Village, and Tuckahoe
Queens County
- The Rockaways
Awardees of LIPA’s Scholarship will have the opportunity to:
- Obtain a scholarship toward an associate degree or certificate program at either Nassau Community College or Suffolk County Community College
- Attend LIPA Workforce Seminars with utility executives and subject matter experts
- Receive job placement support for available positions at LIPA, PSEG Long Island, and other LIPA contractors and suppliers
The first recipients of the scholarship are expected to be announced in 2023. To learn more about the program, please visit www.lipower.org.
The announcement was held at the Jones Beach Energy and Nature Center in Wantagh, an educational facility that LIPA maintains in partnership with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Source: Suffolk County Community College
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