Eight months into the Obama administration, New York's community colleges are suddenly in the spotlight, after a generation of steadily and quietly turning out some of the best-trained workers in the state.

President Obama recognized that effort during his recent visit to Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, Rensselaer County, where he toured two classroom labs used in the college's ambitious academic program known as TEC-SMART.

The president appeared at Hudson Valley with Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden and a community college English professor for much of her career.

"She understands, as all of us do, the power of these institutions to prepare students for 21st-century jobs, and to prepare America for a global technology, and that's what's happening right here at Hudson Valley Community College," Obama said.

The TEC-SMART program specializes in emerging technologies and renewable energy. It is one of several efforts at community colleges around the state to develop new degree and certificate programs in the growing fields of semiconductor manufacturing, alternative fuels and solar energy.

Obama's visit to HVCC, "fits nicely with everything that the secretary of education (Arne Duncan) and the vice president have been talking about," said NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi, who was among those attending the invitation-only talk.

Iannuzzi was part of a panel discussion a few weeks ago in Syracuse with Biden, Duncan and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. That talk focused on ways to make higher education affordable, a theme echoed by Obama.

Rich Porter, acting chair of the Building Systems Technology Department at HVCC and a member of the NYSUT-affiliated Department Chairpersons Association of Hudson Valley CC, met the president during his tour.

"Nothing in this country would work without students like ours," Porter said as he prepared for the presidential visit. "As technology changes, industry tells us what their needs are."

Porter's enthusiasm is reflected at community colleges around the state.

At Schenectady County Community College, Ralf Schauer, professor of math, science and technology, and president of the SCCC Faculty Association, says SCCC had its first nanotech graduating class this spring and program enrollment is up 125 percent. He applauds Obama's focus on community colleges.

"Our country was a world-beater in computers, technology and manufacturing. Those skills eroded and that is where community colleges now come in," he said.

Buffalo is another New York city that was hit hard as manufacturing fled the Northeast. Buffalo's Erie Community College has been a leader in trying to revitalize the upstate economy.

Andy Sako, president of the Faculty Federation of ECC, touts ECC's new Green Building Technology certificate program, in which students learn green construction techniques.

"The state should invest in our schools because our students can help replace the state's graying workforce," Sako said.

Still, the recent attention on community colleges also highlights a growing need.

Ellen Schuler Mauk is president of the Faculty Association of Suffolk County Community College and a long-time NYSUT statewide advocate for community colleges. She also chairs the NYSUT Higher Education Council.

"Unfortunately, the economy has created a challenge for the colleges that are trying to meet students' needs, for the most part with little or no additional funding coming from the state or our county sponsors," Schuler Mauk said.

That crunch comes as community colleges face record enrollment during the recession.

President Obama recently pledged to pump $12 billion in federal funds into the community college system nationwide.

Although New York's community colleges have not seen any of that money yet, Iannuzzi said that in his recent meeting with Biden, the vice president assured him the money will start hitting the local level soon, and will be distributed during the next 10 years.

For now, though, the glow of presidential praise for community colleges is far from fading.

"We're so proud of our students, and we're proud of the work our community colleges do, and we're very proud that the president has recognized community colleges," said Ann Geisendorfer, president of the Department Chairpersons Association of Hudson Valley CC.

Joseph Sarubbi, executive director of TEC-SMART at Hudson Valley, escorted President Obama during a tour of two classroom labs used in the program.

"It was like a dream come true," Sarubbi said. "The president is tremendously engaging. As a professor at a community college for 30 years, I've seen community colleges always take a back seat to the four-year institutions, but I knew I was teaching technicians who could get an affordable education, a good job and live the American dream."

HVCC is building a new facility for TEC-SMART at Luther Forest in Saratoga County, where a multi-million-dollar computer chip fabrication facility is under construction. The college plans to train up to 600 technicians in semiconductor manufacturing over the next five years.