Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

A workforce development subcommittee has formed in response to the news that Micron, a leading company for semiconductor chips, intends to invest $100 billion over 20 years to create a manufacturing facility in the town of Clay. The endeavor is projected to create 9,000 new jobs, plus over 40,000 more jobs in supporting industries. Construction is currently expected to begin in 2024.

Micron workers and employees at supply chain businesses that could open in the company's wake may decide to live in nearby counties, such as Cayuga. And current Cayuga County residents will have job opportunities at those businesses. 

Kelly King, the employment and training director for Cayuga Works Career Center, is the chair of a local employment and training subcommittee. It's part of a larger committee started toward the end of last year to look into how Cayuga County can capitalize on the Micron project. Other subcommittees are focused on energy, housing and site development.

The workforce group includes members of the Auburn City Council and Cayuga Economic Development Agency, workforce force development professionals, business managers and officials with the Auburn school district, Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES and Cayuga Community College. King said she feels good about how the group is going.

"The primary reason that we came together was to make sure that we're at the forefront of the table in terms of workforce development, and what we can do for Micron and also what we can do to enhance and to open up pathways for folks in our community to be successful with the Micron adventure, basically," she said.

Bringing all of these professionals to the table, King continued, "has really allowed us to do something we should have done years ago, and collaborate in terms of workforce, not just for Micron but for the existing businesses that we have now." That effort has included identifying different "gaps and barriers," she said, as the group has recognized childcare transportation is a big issue for modern workforces. Subcommittee members have been discussing the existing training programs and offerings currently available through BOCES and CCC, in addition to looking at opportunities in nearby counties. 

To that end, the group is creating an inventory of trainings offered in Cayuga and counties close by.

"Based on that, we're going to identify where we're lacking in relation to Micron, but also in relation to other high-growth sectors" and existing businesses, King added.

Other discussions have included the idea that the Micron development and those jobs would increase growth in fields such has healthcare and retail, along with a population increase.

"Those people have to have doctors, they have to go the grocery store," King said. "There's going to be an influx in construction, so we do talk about that as well, and making sure that we have training and pathways for those folks to enter into those careers." 

The Micron project is expected to bring in a lot of jobs "that aren't just Micron," she added, so the group wants to address barriers that could pop up with those fields and create pathways and educational opportunities in fields Micron and other businesses are looking for. 

King feels positive about what the group could achieve in the future.

"I'm optimistic that we will be able to create what we need to create to be at the forefront when Micron does come here," she said.

Others are enthusiastic about the possibilities as well. Dr. Brian Hartwell, the district superintendent for Cayuga County and Dr. Brian Durant, president of Cayuga Community College, both told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV they are excited about possible opportunities connected to the project. 

In an email, Hartwell, who is on the county's employment and training subcommittee, talked about how he envisions BOCES getting potentially involved in the project.

"Because of the enormity of this endeavor all educational entities will have an opportunity, and perhaps the responsibility, to do their part," he said. "Our purpose at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES is to 'Unleash potential in our community.' We take this seriously. To maximize access to this field for those that otherwise might not find it accessible, will truly will require an 'All hands on deck' approach. We look forward to continuing our great partnerships with local businesses and industry and welcome the new partnership to come with Micron and others."

Durant said via email CCC's involvement with the project has come primarily "through our participation and cooperation with our leadership in Cayuga County and workgroups in both Cayuga and Oswego Counties."

"We’re also engaging in regular conversations routinely with other entities who are working to support Micron, including Onondaga Community College (OCC)," Durant said. "We’re staying connected as needs get identified, particularly during the current planning process as programmatic necessities and other opportunities are recognized. We’re ready to participate in any way we can, and we’re excited for Micron and to support our partners at Syracuse University and OCC."

He also talked about how the college's efforts could fit with the institution's incoming workforce development center, which CCC is currently creating at the site of the Cayuga County Cornell Cooperative Extension office building. Construction for the center — in which different workforce development groups that help workers gain skills desired by local employers would all be under one roof — began earlier this month.

"There’s a natural symmetry between these projects. Micron will need a vast workforce that is properly trained and comes equipped with the skills to make their business continue flourishing. Our Workforce Development Center is at heart a way for those looking for career services to find these agencies in a single location," Durant said. "One location for these agencies facilitates not only the agencies working together, but also simplifies the process for the future workforce and the unemployed or underemployed who are looking to revitalize their careers. Once the Center is operational, accessing these services is a prime example of how our workforce can prepare to succeed at Micron. These projects are natural partners that will benefit each other and the surrounding region."