In its ninth annual Cyberstates report, the nation’s largest high-tech trade association, AeA, noted that the quality of mathematics and science education and its impact on New York’s workforce is the most significant issue confronting the state’s technology industry.
“High-tech workers earn an average salary of $73,600, or 45% more than the average private-sector employee,” said New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos (R-Rockville Centre). “Even more importantly, these are the challenging career opportunities that today’s students want to pursue. With the new science and technology teacher training programs that we created at Molloy College and Hofstra University, we will ensure that Long Island’s students have the best teachers to help prepare them for these high-paying jobs.”
In September 2002, Senator Skelos, Senator Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City), Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset), Senator Michael A.L. Balboni (R-East Williston) and Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) announced their $71.5 million biotechnology development and job creation initiative. That package included funding for the Institute for the Development of Education in the Advanced Sciences (“IDEAS”) at Hofstra University and the Long Island Center for Excellence in K-12 Science and Biology Education at Molloy College.
According to Justin Wright, Executive Director – AeA New York Council, “We are seeing positive indicators for the future. With tech exports up and venture capital investments soaring by 47% in the Empire State, we believe we will see growth in the high paying jobs that will drive the state’s economy in the future. To promote long-term growth of tech jobs, we need to remain focused on the math and science education of our children, the skills of our workforce, and remain committed to research and development.”
Molloy College’s Long Island Center for Excellence in K-12 Science and Biology Education
To ensure that Long Island’s schools have access to well-trained biology and science teachers, Senator Skelos and the Nassau County Delegation provided $1.5 million to upgrade Molloy College’s laboratories and establish a new program for future K-12 science teachers. The total project cost $1.9 million.
Hofstra University’s Institute for the Development of Education in he Advanced Sciences
Senator Skelos and the Nassau County Delegation provided $3 million to enhance the education of science and technology teachers and create the IDEAS Institute within Hofstra University’s School of Education and Allied Human Services. Specifically, it provides future teachers specializing in engineering and the computer sciences with access to modern equipment—enabling them to prepare K-12 students for college and challenging careers in the life sciences, biotechnology, engineering and other high-tech fields. Further, IDEAS offers continuing education programs for current teachers and encourages K-12 students to pursue these areas of study. The total project cost $10 million.
The AeA report noted that 300,700 people are employed in New York State’s high-technology sector (third nationally), with a $22.1 billion total payroll. Moreover, New York exports $9 billion of technology merchandise (fourth nationally). This represents an 8% increase over last year and 18% of New York State’s total exports.
The Nassau County Senate Delegation’s biotechnology development and job creation initiative also included investments at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Broad Hollow Bioscience Park at SUNY Farmingdale and North Shore-Long Island Jewish Research Institute.
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