By GREGORY ZELLER //
One of Long Island’s leading workforce-development institutions is helping its students look the part as they venture into professional fields.
The New York Institute of Technology held a grand-opening ceremony – two, in fact – on Oct. 9, cutting ceremonial ribbons on new “Tech Threads” facilities on its Long Island and New York City campuses.
The “professional closets” give students free access (by appointment) to new and gently used business wear and accessories including suits, dresses, skirts, button-down shirts, dress pants, ties, shoes, belts, scarves and even jewelry – everything up-and-coming professionals need to fit in at interviews, career fairs, networking events and first-time jobs, but might not be able to afford.
The clothing and accessories are mostly donations from New York Tech faculty, staff, students and alumni, with gifts from the general public mixed in. New York Tech’s Office of Student Engagement & Development began accepting donations during the Spring 2024 semester, spearheading an altruistic team effort designed to remove financial barriers that may prevent students from succeeding in, or even seeking out, professional encounters.
Henry Foley: Donation appreciation.
In that special way, Tech Threads is “aligned with our mission to offer access to opportunity to all New York Tech students,” noted New York Institute of Technology President Henry Foley, who led the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the NYC campus.
“We are grateful for the generosity of our community members who, through their donations, have empowered these future doers, makers, healers and innovators to pursue opportunities that will prepare them to solve 21st Century challenges,” Foley added.
While other schools boast similar professional closets, most only lend items to students – Tech Threads allows students to keep the clothing and accessories they choose. To ensure supply keeps up with demand, the Office of Student Engagement and Development’s Career Success and Experiential Education program has been “building relationships with local employers and members of the outside community,” according to New York Tech, with an eye on further donations.
The two Tech Threads facilities are managed day-to-day by New York Tech students, who among other tasks track clothing supplies, promote the program via campus-outreach and social media channels, organize clothing drives and build donation registries on e-commerce websites including Target and Amazon.
Tiffani Hinds: Opportunity, off the rack.
While helping their classmates polish their professional images, these “Tech Thread consultants” are also piling up on-the-job training and skills – valuable experiences “for their own future careers,” according to mechanical engineering student Chigozie Henry Umeaku, who oversees the Tech Threads consultants on the Old Westbury campus.
“Whether they are handling inventory or helping to spread the word to students and donors, they gain valuable résumé experience, hone time-management and organizational skills and build relationships with mentors from the Office of Career Success and Experiential Education,” Umeaku added.
A lack of professional attire – which can “strain students’ already-limited budgets” – should never stop smart, educated candidates from exploring promising job opportunities, according to New York Tech Associate Provost for Student Engagement and Development Tiffani Hinds, and the multipronged Tech Threads program will make sure it doesn’t.
“Regardless of their financial situation, all students should have the opportunity to confidently seek internships and employment opportunities that will further their career ambitions,” Hinds added. “Now, Tech Threads will ensure that is possible.”
