SUNY Potsdam Partners with New York Association of Towns on New Workforce Development Initiative
SUNY Potsdam Professor Dr. Robert Hinckley leads a lecture in one of his political science classes in Satterlee Hall.
SUNY Potsdam, in partnership with the New York Association of Towns, is pleased to announce the launch of a workforce development initiative designed to improve recruitment and retention in towns, as well as create an accredited and skilled workforce.
Local government employees and candidates for employment can now earn microcredentials in the areas of public sector grant writing and spatial data analysis with GIS from SUNY Potsdam, which were designed specifically with municipal needs in mind. A microcredential is a short course of study that focuses on a particular skill. All microcredentials will launch this summer, and will be offered online for maximum compatibility with work schedules, and will vary from six weeks to two semesters.
“In our conversations with local government leaders from across the state, we recognized that there is a real opportunity for municipalities and prospective employees to add new skillsets through these types of programs—helping local governments to grow from within, for some of these in-demand skills and needs,” said SUNY Potsdam Assistant Dean for Academic Programs and Curriculum Dr. Robert Hinckley, who is also a faculty member in the Department of Politics.
Addressing workforce development issues in towns, including retention and recruitment, has been a major focus of NYAOT’s work. In a survey of its members, nearly half of the respondents said it can take between 1 and 3 months to fill positions and more than 70 percent of respondents asserting that workforce development is an issue for their town.
This program, said NYAOT Executive Director Christopher A. Koetzle, is a huge step toward equipping towns with trained personnel.
“A lot of our smaller towns simply don’t have a luxury of resources to research, apply for and win grants,” he said. “These microcredential programs allow towns to invest in their current employees, or now when students come out of college, they’re ready for town jobs, like comptroller.”
Another benefit, said Hinckley, is attracting enrolled college students to a path of employment in local government.
“It’s also a wonderful opportunity for upskilling or building skills of employees or preparing employees who might want to transition from the private sector into the public sector,” Hinckley said. “We want to be part of the solution, by helping folks early in their career or mid-career.”
The idea for the collaboration came about thanks to NYAOT’s participation in the annual Local Government Conference at SUNY Potsdam, thanks to conversations facilitated there by the statewide organization’s President and Potsdam Town Clerk Cindy Goliber.
“It was an honor to meet with the NYAOT team and attend their annual conference, to get to know public servants across the state,” Hinckley said. “We see a real opportunity to help our local governments become more resilient and innovative, to serve their workforce needs now and in the future.”
To learn more about SUNY Potsdam’s microcredentials, visit www.potsdam.edu/mc.
SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Politics aims to teach, energize, support and inspire students. SUNY Potsdam students pursue the study of political science or international studies to prepare for careers in law, government, foreign service, public policy, social action, teaching, business and more. The department now offers a 100% online option for its baccalaureate program in political science. For more information, visit www.potsdam.edu/politics.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.
PHOTO CAPTION: From left, SUNY Potsdam Assistant Dean for Academic Programs and Curriculum Dr. Robert Hinckley and New York Association of Towns Executive Director Christopher A. Koetzle speak during a workforce development summit discussion at the organization’s annual 2025 conference in New York City (Photo credit: NYAOT).