LaGuardia Community College in Queens, New York, has announced a $116.2 million gift from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to create a workforce training center.

The largest gift ever to a U.S. community college and the largest donation in City University of New York history will establish the Cohen Career Collective, a 160,000 square-foot facility that will provide students with credentials in high-demand sectors such as health care, construction, technology, the culinary and hospitality fields, green jobs, and film and television. In addition, the center will provide student support services such as career advising, preparation for job interviews, job placement, child care, and financial literacy training, as well as English as a Second Language (ESL) and high school equivalency classes.

Slated to open by January 2029, the center will include specialized shops, labs, and classrooms for hands-on instruction and training, as well as study areas, student meeting rooms, a career services center, computer labs, a lecture hall, and a student welcome center.

“I wanted to create a place where students have access to high-quality programs and facilities and can learn the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world,” said Cohen Foundation president Alexandra Cohen, who, with her husband, Steven, co-owns the New York Mets. “Our goal is to make a positive difference in people’s lives. We are proud to create the Cohen Career Collective and are committed to our neighbors here in Queens.”

“We are profoundly grateful for this incredible gift from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation,” said LaGuardia Community College president Kenneth Adams. “The Cohen Career Collective will be the largest career and technical training facility of its kind in the region, offering programs to prepare New Yorkers of all ages, backgrounds, and educational levels for good jobs in high-growth sectors of our local economy.”

(Photo credit: Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation)