Expand educational access and increase enrollment by linking community outreach with high, and demand programs tailored to regional and Mount Vernon residents.
Establish the Center as a community-anchored hub that drives WCC's goals for recruitment, retention, and student success.
Short-term quick wins paired with long-term sustainable growth, rooted in equity and designed to serve diverse adult and youth learners.
This strategy is built on a clear theory of action: when community engagement is high, awareness and trust grow, and enrollment follows. Every pillar reinforces this cycle.
High community engagement builds awareness and trust, drawing more adult/ youth learners into WCC's enrollment pipeline and creating a self-reinforcing growth cycle.
Establish clear metrics across inquiries, conversion, and retention to track success, identify gaps, and continuously refine outreach and program strategies.
Meet learners where they are through flexible scheduling, wraparound support services, and culturally responsive programming that reaches underserved communities.
Mount Vernon WIN: three clearly branded pathways target the full spectrum of adult learner needs . From immediate job training to long-term degree attainment. "WIN" emphasizes success and positive outcomes, framing each pathway as a route to win in career and education.
Job-Ready Training — Short-term workforce programs including HSE, ESL, and career bootcamps designed for immediate employment outcomes. Gain job skills and credentials to go straight to work and start your career.
Further examples:
- Structuing your Indeed profile for success; Searching for jobs,
- Getting the most from LinkedIn;
- Creating pathways for success,
- Success coaching;
- Work with local highs schools to develop credit baring courses on career and workreadiness.
- Create partnerships for youth internship.
Exploration & Community — Low-barrier workshops for personal enrichment and pipeline-building. Inspire your mind and community connection with exploratory classes, sparking new passions and confidence to learn.
Further example:
- Partnering with Home Depot on a workshop on home improvement;
- Partnering with corporations to create workshops around their products;
- Tech workshops work development on AI; Using VR echnology job exploration,
- Health and Mind wellness classeses;
- youth enrichment programs through a WCC University for Youth
Career Advancement — Advanced workforce certificates and credit-bearing pathways for working adults. Navigate your career journey with guidance, advanced programs, and degree pathways that help you progress to your next step.
Further Example:
Tech workshops
work development for on AI and VR jobs
Teacher and school leadership center
Partner with corporationa and government entities to taylor corces for then unique learning needs
Launch and expand programs in sectors with the highest local demand, leveraging Mount Vernon's healthcare lab and HSE testing center.
- Allied Health & Nursing
- IT Support & Cybersecurity
- Business & Entrepreneurship
- Skilled Trades
Design non-credit certificate courses that articulate directly into credit programs, creating seamless pathways that fuel enrollment growth across the institution.
- CNA Certificate → Nursing A.A.S.
- IT Support Boot Camp → Cybersecurity Degree
- Business Workshop → Business Administration A.A.S.
Every new program must carry a clear outcome — job placement, industry certification, or credit, which are validated by survey and labor market data to ensure relevance and demand.
Strategic partnerships are the engine of sustainable enrollment. Each relationship brings referrals, resources, and reach that no single institution can achieve alone.
Build ties with Montefiore Hospital, local businesses, the Workforce Board, and the One-Stop Center to co-create programs and funnel jobseekers into MV Works training. Engage CBOs, faith communities, and libraries to reach diverse residents.
Collaborate with Mount Vernon City Schools for dual-enrollment pipelines, and other taylored youth related programs. Involve WCC faculty in outreach efforts and ensure synergy with main-campus offerings, avoiding duplication while maintaining academic quality standards.
Leverage state workforce grants, corporate sponsorships, and institutional funding, drawing on experience managing $2M+ in grants, and to support new program development and expand community reach at minimal cost.
Meet people where they are: host WCC information tables and free mini-workshops at churches, community centers, schools, and job fairs. Attend city events and panel discussions. Invite the community into the Center through open houses and career days that build familiarity and trust.
Run localized campaigns using social media and podcasting targeted to Mount Vernon ZIP codes, local radio, press coverage, and multilingual flyers distributed through partners. Core message: "Affordable, high-quality education — right next door."
Introduce a unified public brand — "MV WIN: What's Your WIN - WIN Steps?" that simplifies messaging across all three pathways and resonates with adult learners at every stage of their journey.
Converting community interest into enrolled, retained students requires a seamless experience from first inquiry to program completion — with high-touch support at every step.
Simplify registration with one-stop support at the Center: admissions, advising, and financial aid in one visit. Follow up personally with every inquiry within 48 hours to convert interest into enrollment.
Provide orientation sessions for new students, assign dedicated advisors and mentors, and ensure robust services at the Center: tutoring, tech support, and career counseling. Flexible and hybrid scheduling helps working adults persist. These service would also benefit high school students who are undecided about college or career
Collaborate with local agencies to connect students with childcare, transportation assistance, and social services. Thus, removing the real-world barriers that prevent adult learners from staying enrolled and succeeding.
A culture of data-driven decision-making ensures the strategy stays responsive, accountable, and always improving.
- % growth in non-credit & credit enrollments
- Conversion rate: inquiry → enrollment
- Non-credit to credit transition rate
- Program completion & retention rates
Year 1 Targets: +15% total enrollments; +10% non-credit-to-credit transitions.
- Partner referrals received
- Event attendance & community reach
- Surveyed community awareness levels
- Student satisfaction & Net Promoter Score
Use monthly data reviews to refine outreach, sunset low-demand classes, and scale high-performing programs. Share results transparently with the Center team to build a lasting culture of continuous improvement.
"Staying near, going far: enabling Mount Vernon residents to achieve their educational and career goals close to home."
This plan fuses:
- Community engagement,
- Program innovation,
- Student-centered support
To drive enrollment growth and transform more lives in Mount Vernon. Every element is designed to be actionable, measurable, and equitable.
- Proven Workforce Development & Continuing Education leadership experience growing programs from the ground up
- Track record of building partnerships and managing $2M+ in grants
- Deep commitment to equity and serving underserved communities
- Collaborative, data-driven leadership style that mobilizes teams and communities alike
I am eager to bring my passion for education and workforce development to the WCC Mount Vernon Center, and to deliver real, lasting results for this community.
Gregory E. Paul, MA
A strategic enrollment growth proposal for the SUNY WCC Mount Vernon Center: connecting community outreach, high-demand programs, and student support to expand educational access and drive sustainable enrollment growth.