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Onondaga Community College is creating two new degree programs based in electromechanical technology in its ongoing Micron workforce training partnership, the college announced April 6.

The new programs include an associate’s degree in applied science of electromechanical technology and a certificate in electromechanical technology, both of which are designed to result in employment with Micron for the programs’ graduates. Micron — a semiconductor manufacturing company investing up to $100 billion to build a plant in Clay — is anticipated to bring 50,000 jobs to central New York.

“OCC is working closely with Micron representatives and other local colleges and universities including SU to build the workforce required to support such a major investment in our region,” said Anastasia Urtz, OCC’s provost and senior vice president of academic and student affairs.

The two-year associate’s degree program centers on problem-solving in electrical and mechanical systems and will provide a foundation in manufacturing systems and technology, according to OCC’s release. The degree program will prioritize skills including safety, blueprint reading and precision measurement tools.

The one-year certificate program aims to develop qualifications for students proceeding to entry-level manufacturing positions. The certificate and associate’s programs overlap, with credits earned in the certificate applicable to the two-year degree, the release reads.

Both the associate’s and the certificate program will teach overarching practical skills like troubleshooting and problem solving with electromechanical systems, Urtz said. Buffy Quinn, assistant dean in Natural and Applied Sciences at OCC, said the curriculum ensures students who finish the programs will be ready to work as technicians.

“It’s all part of knowing how to take a piece of equipment, troubleshooting when it’s down, doing monitoring of systems to make sure everything is up and running at all times,” Quinn said.

OCC has directly partnered with Micron to facilitate programs that directly connect to technology jobs. In February, OCC announced a new supply chain management degree, also catered toward Micron and its workforce demands. OCC will also build a cleanroom — a manufacturing space designed to be free of dust and particulate matter— to mirror the one that will exist in the new facility.

Officials including President Joe Biden and Sen. Chuck Schumer first announced the plant was coming to central New York at OCC in October. At the time of the announcement, OCC President Dr. Warren Hilton wrote in a press release that the college would be especially instrumental in the workforce development involved with the plant’s establishment.

“OCC will be the primary educator of technicians Micron will hire,” Hilton wrote. “Hundreds of technicians who will live, work, eat, sleep, etcetera in our community will be trained and educated here at our fine institution.”

For Urtz, Micron is one of many opportunities for students going through new technology programs like OCC’s.

“Demand for technology skills is increasing at a rapid pace in New York state, and the arrival of Micron is expected to accelerate this demand,” Urtz said. “The skills a student learns in these programs typically lead to immediate well-paying employment with a number of different companies that are already here.”

The college is also working with Micron as one of the over 20 colleges and universities across the state joining to form the Northeast University Semiconductor Network, a coalition aimed at increasing training and learning opportunities for students in technology.

Syracuse University is one of the institutions forming the network as well, and has also partnered with Micron to train students for the workforce through three individual partnerships including a Future-Ready Workplace Innovation Consortium with the College of Professional Studies; and two projects aimed at hiring veterans and recruiting professors with the D’Aniello Institute for Veteran and Military Families.

Now, with newly-developed programs and a range of colleges and universities working toward technology-specific coursework, Quinn said meeting the demand for workers that Micron is set to bring is a priority.

“We already have the curriculum, and we’re just gonna need to get a lot of people through this curriculum to fill all of these jobs in addition to Micron,” Quinn said.

Construction on the Micron plant is set to begin in 2024, and local jobs for the plant are currently being filled.

News Editor Jana Seal contributed to reporting for this article.

Published on April 19, 2023 at 11:57 pm

Contact Claire: charri39@syr.edu