NSA joins with New York Tech to boost employee education opportunities

The National Supermarket Association (NSA) is teaming with the New York Institute of Technology to offer educational opportunities for NSA members, their employees, and families.

Beginning with the spring 2023 semester, NSA will promote information about New York Tech’s undergraduate and MBA programs to its stakeholders. 

Students who get accepted are eligible for scholarships, with the NSA scholarships covering at least 25% of the students’ full-time tuition.

The Flushing, N.Y.-based NSA, which was founded in 1989 by Hispanic entrepreneurs to represent independent supermarket owners in New York and other urban cities throughout the East Coast, Mid-Atlantic region, and Florida, has more than 200 members who own approximately 400 supermarkets. 

Most members are of Hispanic descent, and most stores are located in minority communities.

“Our entrepreneurial drive led us to open supermarkets a few decades ago in what had been economically depressed, primarily minority neighborhoods,” Samuel Collado, NSA president, said in a statement. “Today, this same vision that strengthened and enhanced our communities extends in many ways, including our dedication to helping people earn a college degree.”

The organizations also will team to provide internships, experiential learning, and other career-related measures. That includes inviting the NSA to New York Tech career fairs at the Old Westbury, N.Y.-based university, and having NSA members consider qualified New York Tech candidates for internships and job opportunities.

In addition, the parties will collaborate on fundraising for student scholarships, and the NSA will encourage its members to support New York Tech’s Grizzly Cupboard food pantries, part of an initiative that provides students with food, health and wellness resources, and information.

“New York Tech is committed to actively engaging with employers such as NSA to create pathways for traditional and nontraditional students seeking a college education,” Jerry Balentine, New York Tech provost and executive vice president, said in a statement.