POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.: On Friday, October 6, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited Dutchess County to tour two local programs aimed at preparing residents for the workforce – the newly-opened Mechatronics Lab at Dutchess Community College and DAY ONE, a program training early childhood educators.

“Quality, affordable education that is accessible to everyone is the backbone of a strong economy, and I’m so proud of the way leaders at Dutchess Community College and DAY ONE have stepped up to prepare people to succeed in the workforce,” said Sarah Lee, CEO of Think Dutchess Alliance for Business. “It was an honor to welcome the First Lady and Secretary Cardona to Dutchess County and have them recognize these initiatives that are setting our community up for success and helping people pursue fulfilling careers.”

On Friday morning, Dr. Biden attended the grand opening of the Mechatronics Lab at Dutchess Community College in Fishkill. Located in the Center of Excellence for Industry & Innovation, this $3 million state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind in the mid-Hudson region. The Mechatronics Lab offers hands-on learning opportunities that will prepare students for a variety of in-demand jobs across the manufacturing sector. As Dutchess County continues to emerge as a hub for advanced manufacturing and technology, the Lab will play a critical role in building an even deeper talent bench for companies across the region, such as onsemi, eMagin and IBM.

Learn more about the Mechatronics Lab here.

Later that day, Dr. Biden toured the DAY ONE Early Learning Community in Poughkeepsie to highlight the importance of early childhood education. DAY ONE Early Learning Community is an early childhood learning program center that provides affordable, quality education to young children while training aspiring educators through its teaching apprenticeships. Over the next six years, DAY ONE aims to train 200 early childhood teachers and give 300 children an affordable early childhood education that prepares them for kindergarten and beyond.

The First Lady, along with Secretary Cardona, New York elected officials and other community leaders, joined children enrolled at DAY ONE in their classroom activities before meeting with members of the Teacher Apprenticeship Program to discuss their program and the critical role teachers play in their children’s lives and the community’s wellbeing.

During her remarks at the end of her visit, Dr Biden stated, “What I just saw at DAY ONE is incredible and innovative. You’re changing the lives of this community’s youngest members, and of the adults who love and teach them.”

“There’s a reason why the First Lady chose Poughkeepsie and DAY ONE to come visit,” DAY ONE Co-Founder Geraldine Laybourne said. “We all know how deeply she cares about education – even as First Lady, she continues to teach at Northern Virginia Community College. She simply loves teaching, so we are thrilled she was here to see what we are doing in Poughkeepsie with DAY ONE.”

Learn more about DAY ONE’s mission here.