HVCC receives grant for apprenticeship program with GlobalFoundries

TROY, N.Y. >> Hudson Valley Community College recently announced that it has received a $144,000 grant from the American Association of Community Colleges to develop and run a targeted apprenticeship program for GlobalFoundries employees.

Officials said Hudson Valley’s Workforce Development office will work to develop a stackable micro-credential electronics technician curriculum that can be delivered to employees directly at the Malta-based plant and at the college’s TEC-SMART extension center, which is nearby in the Saratoga Technology and Energy Park.

Recognized by SUNY, officials said micro-credentials offer a way to verify that students have achieved specific skills and competencies within an area of study, in a shorter or more flexible timespan than a degree or certificate program. Micro-credentials can be “stacked” as students complete additional coursework.

“Across the country, the

advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry continues to struggle to identify qualified employees at many levels, particularly in the electronics technician and electronics maintenance positions. Modest predictions at just GlobalFoundries, estimate that we could hire over 150 new employees at that level within the next three years,” said Government Affairs Representative Greg Connors of GlobalFoundries in a news release. “This apprenticeship training would be beneficial to our organization and essential to our daily effort that strives to build a skilled workforce pipeline from within our industry.”

Salaries in New York state for electronics technician range from $40,520 for entry-level positions to $67,590 for experienced workers, according to the New York State Department of Labor.

“Our current Electrical Engineering Technology – Electronics curriculum aligns very closely with the proposed apprenticeship training that GlobalFoundries is seeking. Our plan is to design stackable micro-credentials based on that program’s coursework to meet GlobalFoundries’ demand for highly skilled employees,” said Roger Ramsammy, president of Hudson Valley Community College. “Once they successfully complete the apprenticeship training, these employees also will be on a path to completing an associate degree at the college.”

The college said that it has collaborated with GlobalFoundriesin the past, and its semiconductor manufacturing and electronics degree and certificate programs are already aimed at those employees looking to start a career in the industry.

For the last nine years, officials noted that GlobalFoundries has partnered with the college on workforce and educational development needs, and the company has hired over 150 employees from the college’s various industrial technology programs.

The $144,000 grant is part of the AACC’s Expanding Community College Apprenticeships initiative. Most of the funding will be used to pay for instructional costs and curriculum development. Once the curriculum is developed, the training can be sustained as the partnership between the company and the college grows.