Dean Gupta of Continuing Education and Workforce Development

Sunil Gupta says his goal is to make a great program even better Sunil Gupta, who became BMCC's Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development this past spring, defines his mission simply: Keep what works and build out from there. "The department has been immensely successful since long before I arrived here and we have an extremely strong faculty team in place," he says. "So our plan is to continue with our core GED and ESL programs while moving into non-traditional areas as well." A case in point: The department has begun reaching out to BMCC's corporate neighbors. "There's a compelling need of job-related educational and training programs for their employees," Gupta says. "I believe we have an important role to play there." Revitalizing downtown Given BMCC's location, it is hardly surprising that a key focus of the college's workforce development initiatives is on the continued revitalization of lower Manhattan. A recently created training program in construction scheduling has been formally endorsed by the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC), which oversees and coordinates all private and public construction projects in Lower Manhattan. "The LMCCC has recognized us as the one school-based program that can deliver this very specialized type of training," Gupta says. The BMCC program is open to individuals interested in pursuing employment in construction. "This a great field to get into for the right people -- there are ample job opportunities and the potential for career growth is huge," he adds. The intensive six-month course involves critical path methodology management of resources, scheduling, finance. "We've already graduated one cohort, are in the process of admitting a second cohort," Gupta says. "It's an achievement we're very proud of." Another program that has its origins in the post-9/11 revitalization of lower Manhattan is the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). To date, BMCC is the CERT-certified school in the CUNY system. "We are looking to build our training offerings into programs that would prepare employees of our corporate neighbors to be state-certified in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, and evacuations," Gupta says. "The idea is to train them in the skills they need to assist in emergencies affecting their companies." First things first A key item on Gupta's wish list is to establish BMCC's Continuing Education programs as an entry point for potential college applicants who may be stymied by insufficient finances, family or commitments or the lack of a high school diploma. "In many cases, continuing education, with its emphasis on practical skills, can be the first step on the path to an associates degree," says Gupta. "I see us providing services and training to make that path as painless as possible -- and to help put the goal of a college education within reach." Before coming to BMCC, Gupta was the Executive Director of Continuing Education, Distance Learning and Workforce Development at Brooklyn's Polytechnic University. Three months into his new assignment, he has been "incredibly impressed" by the quality of the students and faculty. "I am really starting to see the amazing things a community college can accomplish," he says.