By GREGORY ZELLER //
Nassau Community College has collected one of Long Island’s first wins from a proposed Uniondale casino.
The multibillion-dollar hotel-casino pitched by Las Vegas Sands for the current Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum site is years away at best, with a flaming-hoop gauntlet of planning sessions, zoning battles and pointed politicking between here and there.
But the Uniondale-based college – situated just a mile from the coliseum site – announced this week that it will be the “primary employee training center” for the new resort, once the Nevada-based developer brings it to fruition.
Going all-in on what is still a longshot bet may seem a bit presumptuous (if not a full-on jinx), but Nassau Community College is excited to get out in front of “a new industry with thousands of jobs in multiple sectors,” according to Acting College President Maria Conzatti.
Maria Conzatti: On the right path.
“[This] is a tremendous opportunity not only for our students but for the diverse populations we serve as a community college,” Conzatti said this week. “Enhancing our curriculum with training programs, mentorships and internship opportunities in conjunction with an industry leader like Sands provides an opportunity for adult students, career changers and all community members to be placed on successful career paths.”
The collaboration would revolve around internships and other “experiential learning components” for NCC students at the hotel-casino. New college programs focused on hotel and casino management, banquet and meeting planning, security, entertainment and other specialties would likely evolve, according to the school.
“The NCC Hospitality and Business Department is looking forward to collaborating with the Sands resort,” noted Professor and Department Chairwoman Anne Cubeta. “Our department has the capability to develop programs that will meet the needs of the hospitality businesses within the (proposed Sands) complex.
“We see this as a winning combination for our current and future students as well as for Nassau County.”
Robert Goldstein: Committed to Long Island.
Partnering with NCC continues Sands’ long history of educational partnerships – in Nevada, Pennsylvania and elsewhere – geared toward advancing local hospitality workforces. Prior initiatives have included financial contributions to higher-education institutions, scholarship programs and comprehensive training opportunities like those slated for Nassau Community College.
Sands Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Goldstein trumpeted the international resort developer’s “strong track record of partnering with a variety of educational organizations to put people on pathways to success in the hospitality industry.”
“We are making the same commitment to the Long Island community and have an excellent partner with an aligned vision to do so in working with Nassau Community College,” Goldstein said in a statement. “We look forward to investing in people with any skillset or background who have a desire to be part of this exciting new industry planned for Long Island.”
