BUFFALO, N.Y. — A key piece of Governor Cuomo's Buffalo Billion plan is soon to open on Buffalo's East Side.

The Northland Workforce Training Center will begin classes on September 10. Faculty and staff will move in later this week.

The $60 million facility will offer degree programs for skills in manufacturing and energy — like welders, machinists and technicians. The goal is to fill a need for thousands of manufacturing jobs in the area and help people, often from areas of poverty, looking for good paying jobs. 

More than 270 people went through the admissions process, with about 150 starting classes next month. The Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance says there are more than 3,000 jobs available in Western New York.

"Anyone can learn these jobs. In the past, folks would graduate from high school and just go right into production work, but now you need some technical skills and that's what the Northland Workforce Training Center is designed to do," said, Stephen Tucker, Northland Workforce Training Center President & CEO.

The training center is part of a larger vision to revitalize the old industrial corridor in the Northland Avenue Neighborhood.  Work on the second phase is underway currently. That will be a new home for Buffalo Manufacturing works.

The return of the iconic Gigi's Soul Food restaurant inside the training center is slated to open in October.