New York’s Capital District Educational Opportunity Center Receives Grants for Cannabis Construction Training Program

New York’s Capital District Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), a division of Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center (USC) that will be put towards implementing a Cannabis Construction training program. 

The Cannabis Construction certificate training program will be offered beginning in the fall of 2023 and will teach enrolled students elements of the building trades that are required to construct indoor and outdoor grow houses, according to a press release. After completing the course, students will have learned facets of carpentry and framing for the structure; electrical wiring, outlet, and panel installation; heating and ventilation duct work and thermostat installation; and plumbing installation utilizing PVC and/or Pex tubing. Students who complete the program will receive a certificate from EOC and three credits at HVCC, which can transfer into a related degree program including construction technology, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, architecture, or engineering. 

EOC is one of 15 institutions nationwide that was selected out of more than 150 applicants to receive grant money from USC. The grant awarded is “The Takeoff: Institutional Innovations for College Men of Color,” which recognizes and supports organizations that are exemplars in finding innovative ways to improve racial equity for men of color. 

The students who complete the program will also be supported by the EOC’s partnership with the Small Business Development Center at the University of Albany.