Planning Grant for the Tech Valley ATE Center for Semiconductor and Nanotechnology Workforce Development

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Nanotechnology is a growing industry in the "Tech Valley," the northeastern section of New York State. In response to this demand, the college, geographically located at the center of Tech Valley and the Capital Region, is developing a plan to establish the Tech Valley ATE Center for Semiconductor and Nanotechnology Workforce Development. This planning project, through field research, consultation with NSF ATE experts, and organization of both a regional planning summit and educators' workshop, engages a partnership from among education, industry and government resources to develop a strategic plan for a center that offers semiconductor and nanotechnology-related associate's degree programs, faculty professional development, 2+2+2 pipeline transfer programs, career track training, and employment placement aligned with workforce demands. The Center's design plan addresses the workforce education/training needs of these industries in Tech Valley, as well as New York State and the Northeast region. The Intellectual Merit of this project is two-fold: (1) This project engages the leadership and expertise of two ATE Centers, MATEC and NCTT, in order to develop a comprehensive plan for an ATE workforce development center to meet the education and training needs of the growing semiconductor and nanotech related businesses in the region and beyond. (2) Building on the skills standards established by MATEC, this project is establishing for the Tech Valley Region the foundation for the development of an innovative curriculum, collaborative educational materials, and training programs with a strong science and mathematics core that meet the sophisticated needs of the semiconductor and nanotechnology industry. The Broader Impact of this project is in the strategic partnerships this planning grant can forge among the workforce professionals in the region to address the growing need for semiconductor manufacturing and nanotechnology related technicians. A major challenge for strategic workforce planning is to effectively bring all the regional stakeholders together into a working partnership. This planning project is the critical first step toward development of a regional ATE workforce development center that directly serves the semiconductor and nanotech industry all along the Tech Valley region, greater New York State, and adjacent regions as well.