But who is going to fill these roles and how will they get trained?
Area entities, such as TechBuffalo, have begun answering the call with training opportunities for adults in advanced tech and manufacturing. There has also been a push from local leaders to elevate Western New York as a prime candidate to become a Regional Tech Hub — a program that would bring funding and resources to help advance the region.
The National Institute for Innovation and Technology, a nonprofit federally funded through the Department of Labor helping develop the U.S. semiconductor talent pipeline, also is bringing similar opportunities to students.
NIIT President and CEO Mike Russo believes the best way to make more people aware of opportunities in the tech workforce is through the K-12 educational system.
With the help of NY Creates, a tech industry/academia collaboration, NIIT launched in June a major semiconductor workforce development program in Albany at an event attended by government leaders such as Sen. Chuck Schumer, a supporter of delivering federal funding for growing the manufacturing industry across upstate.
The next step is to bring the program to the Thruway corridor, including in Buffalo, and that will begin by the end of the year. Engagement with the K-12 system in Western New York will start with the work being done right now through the Capital region BOCES in Albany.
"Buffalo is a big target in growing this initiative," Russo said. "I think it will do really well in Buffalo. We launched first in New York, which gives Buffalo a leg up to take advantage of the infrastructure."
NIIT is charged with supporting tech-based and advanced manufacturing industries tied to national security and global competitiveness, and making sure the current education system helps answer the call for additional employees to fill the worker shortage.
It uses Career Opportunity Hubs to create this collaboration between industry leaders, academia and other stakeholders, helping bolster job opportunities in advanced technology and connect students with potential jobs in these professions.
These hubs ensure local education systems and employers are in sync on the exact skills the local workforce needs to succeed in this industry. They require industry, post-secondary and K-12 liaisons responsible for outreach.
"That is the way to open the doors for people without degrees to learn and earn while you get qualified on the job," Russo said. "And there is a great need in New York."
WHAT'S THE PLAN?
To deploy the program in the Capital region, NIIT has met with 12 regional ambassadors who will help scale the program and onboard industry players. It is also working with BOCES and 24 school districts — representing 84,000 students — in the Albany area.
NIIT is looking to upgrade the technical education curriculum at these districts, and all students will connect with a system that helps align them with potential careers in tech. At the same time, employers are entering target jobs in the hub.
This infrastructure will eventually connect cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Binghamton and continue to expand as those other cities are onboarded.
Once the Buffalo region becomes aware of the infrastructure offered by NIIT, target and supply chain companies in Western New York will need to be identified. When that occurs will be based on the level of excitement to use the system and programs that are in place, Russo said.
"What employers need from a curriculum perspective will now be automated in real time," Russo said. "And then the connecting of students to employers in those training programs all happens in the system."
THERE'S POTENTIAL IN BUFFALO
Russo realizes local leaders are trying to build a tech region in Buffalo, and he believes there is already the foundation for it.
Buffalo is rich with diversity, and that should only benefit the city when NIIT, which promotes inclusion for underserved communities, aims to enter the region, Russo said. But, right now, there is not great participation in tech job training.
"The thing about Buffalo and people from Buffalo, they're going to find that we have what they can use and those skills are transferable in the Buffalo school system," Russo said.
Many times, companies are unable to invest in finding and training youth in the K-12 system, Russo said. Also, companies have traditionally required a minimum two-year degree for entry-level tech positions. NIIT attempts to get these companies out of their old ways to broaden their pipeline.
"A lot of times, when you get too far down the pike, people have already learned that 'they can't' and they are already set in their ways, but at a younger age, they are not really buying into 'I can't,'" he said. "Employers are going to find that they get more people this way and they shouldn't count on them being less qualified. It is not only about getting to the kids — employers have to understand and give it a shot, and then there is a snowball effect."
©2023 The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
