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

纳米技术在纽约州东北部的“科技谷”是一个正在发展的产业。为了满足这一需求，该学院位于科技谷和首都地区的中心，正在制定一项计划，建立科技谷半导体和纳米技术人才培养中心。该规划项目通过实地调研，咨询NSF ATE专家，组织区域规划峰会和教育工作者研讨会，与教育、行业和政府资源建立伙伴关系，为该中心制定战略计划，提供半导体和纳米技术相关的副学士学位课程，教师专业发展，2+2+2管道转移项目，职业轨道培训，就业安置与劳动力需求保持一致。该中心的设计方案解决了科技谷、纽约州和东北地区这些行业的劳动力教育/培训需求。该项目具有两方面的智力价值：(1)该项目汇集了两个ATE中心（MATEC和NCTT）的领导和专业知识，以便为ATE劳动力发展中心制定一个全面的计划，以满足该地区及其他地区日益增长的半导体和纳米技术相关业务的教育和培训需求。(2)以MATEC建立的技能标准为基础，该项目为科技谷地区建立了创新课程、协作教育材料和培训计划的基础，这些课程、协作教育材料和培训计划具有强大的科学和数学核心，以满足半导体和纳米技术行业的复杂需求。该项目的更广泛影响在于，该计划拨款可以在该地区的劳动力专业人员之间建立战略伙伴关系，以满足对半导体制造和纳米技术相关技术人员日益增长的需求。战略劳动力规划的一个主要挑战是有效地将所有区域利益相关者聚集在一起，形成工作伙伴关系。这个规划项目是朝着建立一个区域性ATE劳动力发展中心迈出的关键的第一步，该中心直接服务于整个科技谷地区、大纽约州和邻近地区的半导体和纳米技术产业。

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.