More than 800 workers will get the training they need for careers at Micron and other advanced manufacturers thanks to a six-million-dollar federal grant. The Manufacturers Association of Central New York will use the money to build upon its already successful registered apprenticeship program. President and CEO Randy Wolken says they’ve already trained one thousand workers since 2016.
“The best thing about a registered apprenticeship is all of those individuals are working as they're getting the learning and training," Wolken said. "So it's not like they get their training and then go to work 18 months to two years later. They literally are earning a paycheck day one.”
Wolken says numerous employers are involved or ready to join, including Micron, Wolfspeed, Global Foundries, and others across the state.
“They have a specific program that's designed for them, so each of those employees are trained on their equipment, trained in their facility," Wolken said. "Each of them have a mentor from within the company. We'll have at least 30 employers, probably more employers who will be hiring these individuals.”
Wolken says several trade and educational partners are also providing related instruction and support. He says now the challenge is ramping up their pre-apprenticeship program to provide pathways for underrepresented groups in manufacturing, especially women. The training grant was secured by Senator Chuck Schumer.
