(NEW YORK, NEW YORK – June 5, 2020) SUNY Empire State College and the Construction Trades License Training Corporation (CTLTC) have announced a renewed partnership to provide CTLTC’s members the training they need for certification and licensure in New York City. For the first time, the trainings will be conducted entirely online due to ongoing public health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ability to continue offering these courses virtually – thanks in large part to SUNY Empire’s expertise in online education – means critical training and certification for professionals who safeguard public health and safety infrastructure will not lapse during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the agreement, SUNY Empire’s Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies, based in New York City, will provide a seven-hour training course for licensed Master Plumber (LMP) and licensed Fire Suppression Contractor (LFSC) certificate or license holder seeking renewal that meets the standards of the New York City Department of Buildings. Students who successfully complete the course will be issued a certificate of completion. The agreement takes effect immediately and courses will be offered monthly starting in June.

CTLTC provides training to approximately 1,800 LMPs and LFSCs in New York City, and expects hundreds of individuals to take advantage of this course in 2020 alone.

“SUNY Empire is proud to partner with CTLTC to provide New York’s plumbing and fire suppression professionals the training they need to advance their careers and keep the city running safely – and to continue offering these courses, now virtually, as the city faces a historic pandemic,” said SUNY Empire State College President Jim Malatras. “Thank you to CTLTC Administrator Terence O’Brien for his leadership and for the faculty and staff at SUNY Empire who made this partnership possible. We look forward to working together more in the future.”

"We have been providing this required renewal service for the NYC plumbing and fire suppression community for almost 20 years,” said CTLTC Administrator Terence O'Brien. “Our partnership with SUNY Empire State College these past six years has been wonderful and has allowed us to continue educating the license holders and owners of companies who build and safeguard NYC public health, may it be fire safety systems, medical/fuel gas, or drinking water. The ability to run these renewal courses virtually during this pandemic is a testament to the commitment of SUNY Empire State College's focus on education and the importance of a properly trained workforce for the greater good.”

“The CTLTC certification program for plumbers and fire inspectors is demanding and thorough – just as it must be to ensure safety for workers and for New York City,” said Lynne Dodson, associate dean of the Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies. “The Harry Van Arsdale Jr. Center for Labor Studies is proud to partner with them.”

This renewal continues SUNY Empire’s longstanding commitment to providing training and educational opportunities for New York City’s skilled trade professionals. SUNY Empire and CTLTC have partnered to provide training for CTLTC members for the past six years.

About CTLTC

The Construction trades license training corporation (CTLTC) has been providing renewal training for NYC the licensed plumbing and fire suppression since 2002.  CTLTC is a partnership between the Plumbing Foundation City of New York, the Mechanical Contractors Association of New York, and the Master Plumbers Council of New York City.  The course is open to any New York City fire suppression and/or plumbing license holder and historically have provided the vast majority of the NYC legally required training for those license holders to renew their license(s). For further information on CTLTC or to register for a renewal course please visit https://nyconstructiontrades.org/.

About SUNY Empire State College

SUNY Empire State College educates students at any stage of life with a personalized learning experience delivered online, in person, or a blend of both. Since 1971, SUNY Empire has empowered students to earn an accredited degree around the demands of a busy lifestyle to advance their personal and professional goals. With world-class faculty, more than 1,300 dedicated mentors to help students tailor their degree programs, and cutting-edge distance learning technology, SUNY Empire delivers a trusted and flexible online college experience grounded in more than 30 New York state locations and seven international sites where students can learn and collaborate in person. Our nearly 50 years as a leader in awarding credit for prior learning and life experience helps students earn a degree faster and at lower cost. To learn more, visit www.esc.edu and follow @SUNYEmpire.