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Onondaga Community College (OCC) is a college of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and one of 30 locally sponsored community colleges throughout New York State. The college offers two-year degree programs that serve as transfer opportunities to baccalaureate degree programs at four-year campuses or for direct entry to the workforce. There are also certificate programs that can generally be completed in one year. Their Community Education Programs include classes for personal enrichment and professional development; accelerated degree programs for working adults; customized training for local businesses; and, special programs for children and teens, small businesses and school districts.
Prior to joining Right Turn, OCC had managed other programs that served young adults with barriers to education. The College managed two grants funded by the U.S. Department of Labor – one awarded by the Education and Training Administration in October 2014, and a cooperative agreement from U.S. DOL ODEP in September 2014 to support implementation of the Onondaga Pathways to Careers (OPC). The goals of OPC are to develop and implement a comprehensive, sustainable student- and employer-centered system of support to promote access, success, and career entry for youth and young adults with disabilities, while increasing enrollment of individuals with disabilities in career and technical programs.
The Onondaga County Partnership for Youth Justice, a cross-institutional partnership, was convened to establish a more effective and efficient juvenile justice system. Syracuse Right Turn will build upon the foundation established by the Partnership for Youth Justice and existing programs, helping to close gaps in the system to strengthen the region’s capacity to improve educational and employment outcomes for the youth and young adults served. The project and partnership will be coordinated by OCC, a two-year, open-door public college sponsored jointly by the State University of New York (SUNY) and Onondaga County serving over 12,000 students annually. OCC has strong relationships with the Syracuse Right Turn partners. OCC, SU/BBI, the Syracuse City School District (SCSD), JOBSplus!, CNY Works, and Syracuse EOC are partners on the Onondaga Pathways to Careers (OPC) initiative. Several partners are members of the Work Train Collaborative and are working to implement a dual client workforce model to connect individuals in poverty to education and training leading to viable careers.