Today, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is set to announce that a trade group in Syracuse has been awarded a significant federal grant to provide training to workers in the field of advanced manufacturing.
Last week, it was announced that Syracuse would receive a portion of a multimillion-dollar federal grant aimed at enhancing the semiconductor industry in Upstate New York. This recent news comes as a continuation of that announcement.
The Manufacturers Association of Central New York has been granted $6 million by the U.S. Department of Labor to enhance its registered apprenticeships program. The program is designed to train over 800 workers for lucrative careers with esteemed employers such as Micron, Indium, Wolfspeed, and several others located across the region. This funding is expected to open up new growth opportunities for aspiring professionals.
According to Schumer’s office, it is the biggest federal award ever given in the state.
According to Schumer, registered apprenticeships are the best form of workforce training available. They provide a direct path to well-paying jobs and equip workers with the necessary skills and experience to build a career that will last a lifetime.
After the successful passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, Schumer played a vital role in strengthening the U.S. manufacturing, supply chains, and national security. Micron, a semiconductor company, announced its intention to invest over $100 billion in constructing four semiconductor fabrication plants in Clay within the next two decades, which will provide employment opportunities for approximately 9,000 people.
Schumer stated that the focus is on ensuring that individuals from Syracuse, Utica, Rome, and other communities in New York State are the ones who will be employed in constructing America’s future.
Representing over 300 businesses, MACNY is the largest manufacturing association in the state. They offer a variety of services, including training, leadership development, networking events, advocacy, and workforce development.
According to Randy Wolken, the CEO of the group, the federal funding will drive growth in all manufacturing sectors. This includes both new companies moving to New York and established manufacturers who have been the foundation of the state’s economy for decades. The emerging fields that will benefit from this funding include semiconductor and nanotechnology, biotechnology, and clean energy.
MACNY has received funding to establish the New York Registered Apprenticeship Manufacturing Partnerships (NY-RAMP) program. The program will aim to expand its existing programming in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, and will be rolled out in three phases across the state.
During phase one, the regions that will be covered include Syracuse, the Mohawk Valley, Rochester, and Albany. Moving on to phase two, Buffalo, Binghamton, and Brooklyn will be included. Finally, in phase three, the coverage will be expanded to the Hudson Valley and Long Island.
According to Schumer, Micron is looking to utilize MACNY’s registered apprenticeship program to secure their workforce for the future.
Micron and related new ventures are in dire need of trained workers, and to address this issue, the apprentice program has been introduced as one of the various public and private initiatives.
