Biden designates Upstate NY a Workforce Hub
Feds to invest in support for future Micron facility
Upstate New York has joined seven other regions across the U.S. in being declared a Workforce Hub, a wide-ranging effort to build the pipeline of workers needed to support Micron’s $100 billion investment in Onondaga County, the White House announced.
The upstate region joins Michigan, Milwaukee and Philadelphia in receiving the designation. In May, Columbus, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, and Augusta, Georgia were named the nation’s first hubs.
The partnership with the federal government will bring together state and local officials, employers, community colleges, high schools, four-year colleges and others to create good-paying jobs in a region that’s seen its manufacturing base eroded.
“It’s one of the reasons that Micron was excited to come to Syracuse because they knew they’d have a good labor supply,” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said Wednesday.
Schumer was to join President Biden Thursday when he traveled to Syracuse to tout a $6.1 billion preliminary funding agreement between the semiconductor giant Micron and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Will all jobs be in the semiconductor industry?
No.
There will be construction jobs for workers building warehouses and other infrastructure needed for Micron’s semiconductor operations.
Technicians trained at local community colleges could find work at Micron or the upstate businesses in its supply chain. There will be jobs in maintenance and warehouses.
There will also be work for doctorate-level engineers as researchers at Micron and in the supply chain.
Schumer said Wednesday the goal is to reinvigorate a labor force decimated by the defections of major manufacturers like Carrier and others.
“People will be coming to Syracuse, not leaving Syracuse, to get good-paying jobs,” he said.
Federal officials say tens of thousands of jobs will be created at Micron and businesses in its supply chain.
What’s the difference between Workforce Hubs and Tech Hubs?
The Workforce Hub comes with a guarantee of support from the White House, which officials say will kickstart further investment in the region.
The Tech Hubs are a grant competition, with regions across the U.S. bidding for a portion of $500 million allocated during the program’s first year through the CHIPS and Science Act.
In October, Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse — Upstate New York’s three biggest cities — joined Binghamton in being named one of 31 finalists in the $10 billion federal Tech Hub sweepstakes.
Between five and 10 of the tech hub finalists could receive up to $75 million apiece. The winners will be announced in the coming months.
As part of the Rochester-Buffalo-Syracuse proposal, Monroe Community College in Rochester is seeking $17.5 million to lead an effort to train thousands of workers in the three cities. The college would collaborate with other college and training centers to recruit and train workers.
The proposal envisions roughly 5,000 mid-level positions and 4,000 construction jobs in the semiconductor supply chain, with a focus on hiring women and workers from ethnic and racial minorities.