The collaboration between Westchester County and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy has ramped up with the appointment of Bonnie Blumer as the representative in Westchester for the university.
In her new role, Blumer will work to expand access for Westchester employers to education, talent, and collaborative research opportunities with RPI. She also will help coordinate ways for employers to bring RPI students into their businesses through internships, co-ops, and various projects.
A major objective of the Westchester County government and RPI association is to advance economic growth by equipping both current employees and new talent with high-demand technical, analytical, and leadership skills.
PRI is opening its ProCourses programs to Westchester employers in order to help them retain and grow existing talent, reduce costly turnover, and build a pipeline of future leaders who can think strategically about both business and technology.
Initial programs include 4-to-8-week online, project-based courses led by industry experts. Topics include Generative Artificial Intelligence, Introduction to Applied Quantum, and Smart Manufacturing. Online graduate certificates and master’s degrees are offered in areas such as Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Business Administration. Undergraduate degree programs are offered for production and operations professionals seeking career advancement.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said, “Hiring a dedicated RPI representative based in Westchester is a key pillar of our partnership and a powerful signal of RPI’s long-term commitment to this collaboration. Having someone on the ground, working directly with employers, allows us to more effectively connect Westchester’s small, mid-sized, and large-scale STEM-based companies with RPI’s forward-thinking educational offerings — helping businesses upskill their workforce and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving economy.”
According to the county’s Director of Economic Development Bridget Gibbons, “Bonnie is exactly the right person to advance this partnership. Her deep experience, institutional knowledge of RPI, and decades of higher education marketing and enrollment leadership will accelerate and expand the tangible results of this partnership for Westchester employers and their workforce.”
Blumer explained that the partnership is to help ensure that residents and employers “can readily access the very best of RPI’s educational offerings, talent pipeline, and collaborative partnerships. I look forward to working closely with county leadership and industry to create meaningful, lasting impact for the region’s workforce and innovation ecosystem.”
Founded in 1824, RPI was the first technological research university in the U. S. It is a private university renowned for its strengths in engineering, science, technology, information technology, and architecture. It offers more than 100 programs to a student body of nearly 8,000.
