On Friday, family, friends and enthusiastic supporters of the 14 graduates of the Northside Green Train program gathered in the brightly colored community space of the Northside Collaboratories here at 800 N. Salina St to celebrate the accomplishments of the hard-working men. The most recent class of the program had a list of accomplishments indeed not the least of which was evidenced by the structure just next door where the Northside Economic Resource Center will hopefully be held, now with stunningly remodeled and painted interiors. The second class of Green Train graduates built upon the work and successes of the pioneer class, continuing the sustainable and environmentally conscious construction of the building.
Several organizations come together to provide the opportunities presented by this innovative workforce development program, including Franciscan Collaborative Ministries, the Metropolitan Development Association, CNY Works, Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union, St. Joseph’s Hospital, BOCES Career Training Center, Syracuse City School District, the Syracuse Workforce Development Institute, Syracuse University and the Syracuse Center of Excellence. However, Lenore Seeley of CNY Works, when asked to say a few words to the graduates emphasized the fact that it wasn’t about the litany of organizations and non-profits that brought the fourteen men to be sitting in the front two rows on this specific Friday morning, but that it was about each and everyone of them. According to Seeley, workforce development is an admittedly bog-like term to traverse, but ultimately workforce development begins with the individual. “Keep learning,” she finished by taking advantage of the community and the opportunities it presents, but do it for yourself, continue the pursuit of lifelong learning for you.
Oliver Luisi formerly of the Northside Collaboratories emphasized the bright futures in store for the graduates with the new skills and tools that the students developed throughout the program.
Odell Rice, one of the graduates was given the opportunity to speak saying that although he’d worked in the construction industry for years he’d never had the knowledge that he was able to obtain through the program. He brightly finished his speech, “Anyone out there willing to hire, I’m ready.” Indeed, all of the hard working men who recently completed the program are ready and willing to start building a brighter, greener world.
