New Hub Will Connect More New Yorkers To Careers And Strengthen The Albany NanoTech Complex’s Position To Secure National Semiconductor Technology Center
For Immediate Release: Monday, June 12, 2023
Contact: Jason Conwall | jconwall@ny-creates.org | (518) 956-7373
The New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering and Science (NY CREATES), in partnership with the National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT), today launched the nation’s first Career Opportunity Hub at the Albany NanoTech Complex in New York’s Capital Region. The new program is focused on growing the semiconductor workforce – a key component of the future National Semiconductor Technology Center and critical to the entire U.S. chip industry – and represents America’s first semiconductor-specific Registered Apprenticeship Program within a world-leading semiconductor research and development, innovation, and commercialization facility.
“NY CREATES partnering with the NIIT to host the New York Opportunity Hub bolsters our commitment to workforce training for the state and the nation. Driven by Senator Schumer’s visionary CHIPS Act legislation, this partnership will help build New York’s leadership in semiconductor innovation and benefit our most important resource – the talent that will become the workforce of the future,” said David Anderson, President of NY CREATES. “The timing of this partnership couldn’t be better. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Schumer and Governor Hochul, New York is preparing for a dramatic expansion of semiconductor facilities and jobs in our state with projects announced by Micron, GlobalFoundries, Edwards, IBM, and more. As we position ourselves to welcome the centerpieces of the CHIPS Act to New York – the National Semiconductor Technology Center and the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program – we understand that building tomorrow’s workforce today is not only important, it’s critical to a successful future.”
The New York Career Opportunity Hub will leverage NY CREATES nation-leading facilities – the Albany NanoTech Complex – to connect the talent from across the state with the semiconductor industry. It will enable high schools, community colleges, colleges, and universities to see precisely what skills are needed for their students to enter semiconductor careers. It will also connect job seekers with training programs, apprenticeships, and certificate programs so they can power New York’s semiconductor employers, helping to deliver on the promises of the CHIPS Act for the nation to reassert its leadership in microelectronics.
Additionally, NY CREATES’ partnership with the NIIT is establishing the nation’s first semiconductor-specific Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) within a world-leading semiconductor R&D, innovation, and commercialization facility for advanced digital, analog, and power technologies through NIIT’s Growing Apprenticeships in Nanotechnology and Semiconductors (GAINS) program and in partnership with the Capital Region Center for Economic Growth (CEG). GAINS provides individuals the ability to learn on the job while building experience and skills through working with industry partners and is designed to meet the workforce demands of the semiconductor and nanotechnology-related fields.
“With my CHIPS & Science Act as the oxygen, we are breathing new life into Upstate New York as the manufacturing powerhouse it can be once again. The launch of America’s first ever Career Opportunity Hub for building the chip tech workforce will train the next generation to fill the thousands of good-paying jobs in the semiconductor, advanced manufacturing and tech industries to help communities from the Capital Region to Central New York, from Binghamton to Buffalo grow and help lead the nation in manufacturing again,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer. “This program will help give Upstate New York the talent pipeline it needs, sparking students’ interest from K-12 to higher education, and connecting students and workers with tech industry leaders like GlobalFoundries, Applied Materials, and Plug Power for registered apprenticeships that will give them the skills they need to build America’s technological future. From the little girl who dreams of being an engineer, to the father attending community college to upgrade his career, the Career Opportunity Hub, combined with the growth of industry from my CHIPS & Science Act, will help ensure the next generation of young scientists and innovators secure good-paying jobs, here in Upstate NY.”
Schumer added, “Today’s announcement is further proof of how Albany NanoTech is ready to serve as a leading innovation hub of the National Semiconductor Technology Center. Nowhere else in the country is more prepared, with unique partnerships across sectors, including in workforce training, which is a key priority for NSTC. From K-12 schools to community colleges and world-renowned research universities, Albany NanoTech has well-established, long-standing partnerships in place across the country, and today’s announcement further underscores their significant workforce training capabilities to lead the NSTC and quickly serve the needs of the nation’s semiconductor industry.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, said “This new partnership will be a tremendous asset to the Capital Region. It will create numerous good-paying, in-demand semiconductor jobs and help ensure that New York remains a national leader in advanced electronics. I congratulate NY CREATES, NIIT, and everyone involved in this partnership and look forward to seeing it in action.”
Congressman Paul D. Tonko said, “I’m proud to celebrate this landmark effort by NY CREATES and NIIT to pave the way for a brighter future in our nation’s tech-based industries. By establishing America’s first Career Opportunity Hub right here in our Capital Region, NIIT is building on the steps we’ve taken through the CHIPS and Science Act and other efforts to turn our region into a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing and high-tech innovation. In collaboration with our partners in education, industry and government, we are building a strong technological ecosystem that will not only strengthen our local economy, but also bolster our national security and enhance our nation’s competitiveness on the global stage.”
SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. said, “SUNY is proud to have the first semiconductor Career Opportunity Hub right here in the Capital Region. The semiconductor industry will require a range of careers from manufacturing to highly skilled labor, communications and marketing, accounting, software development, and management. These are accessible jobs that are in high demand, and through partnerships like this with NIIT, we can help our students see the value of a career in semiconductor manufacturing and ultimately build the talent pipeline needed for this emerging industry.”
The Opportunity Hub is built on the formative partnership between NY CREATES, the State University of New York (SUNY), NIIT, and the National Science Foundation to build the National Talent Hub (NTH) and establish its first statewide pilot with SUNY Polytechnic Institute and multiple SUNY community colleges to create a one-of-kind connection between the semiconductor industry and higher education, an essential goal of the CHIPS Act. The Hub will utilize a broad range of programs and support structures to build the region’s tech talent pipeline. Career Opportunity Hubs are part of NIIT’s larger, nationwide strategy to grow the workforce in tech-based industries. The strategy helps to ensure the entire education system provides a skills-based pathway to careers and “learn and earn” opportunities through innovative Registered Apprenticeships.
About NY CREATES
NY CREATES serves as New York’s bridge to the advanced electronics industry. As the primary resource for fostering public-private and academic partnerships in New York State, NY CREATES attracts and leads industry-connected innovation and commercialization projects that secure significant investment, advance R&D in emerging technologies, and generate the jobs of tomorrow. NY CREATES runs some of the most advanced facilities in the world, boasts more than 2,700 industry experts and faculty, and manages public and private investments of more than $20 billion – placing it at the global epicenter of high-tech innovation and commercialization. Learn more at ny-creates.org.
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