A highly educated and skilled workforce supports each sector of New York state’s economy. One quarter of the state’s adult population has four or more years of higher education, and more than one million undergraduate students attend the state’s 319 first-rate institutions of higher education. Right now, a significant pool of available workers with experience in engineering, electronics and manufacturing is ready to meet the needs of growing businesses. In manufacturing, New York ranks 9th in the nation for worker productivity, and our labor costs are lower than most leading industrial states.
One of the goals of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany-SUNY (UAlbany) has been to develop and implement a comprehensive program to support a continuum of education and training necessary to build the foundations of a skilled technology workforce for the global economy of the 21st century. This goal is being accomplished by integrating an array of educational and training resources to meet the workforce training needs of equipment, materials, component suppliers and integrated nanodevice manufacturers. As such, CNSE presents unique opportunities to structure education and training resources around the nanotechnology industry by implementing a comprehensive workforce development model that will not only prepare employees for the nanotechnology industry but will engage students in pertinent mathematics and sciences disciplines.
More specifically, CNSE is providing seed resources and direction to support appropriate educational institutions and not for profit entities in the creation of the complete instructional continuum from elementary education up through certificate level skills training leading to the full array of degree granting opportunities in the field of nanotechnology. In addition, the CNSE workforce development and training programs have been paying special attention to the enrollment of students and recruitment of women and minority contractors and workers from under-represented social and ethnic groups. Specific programs are outlined below.
Apprenticeships
CNSE-CTI workforce development and recruitment program
Community Colleges
High School Science and Math Education
Four-Year Colleges and Degree Programs
Equipment Supplier Technician Training Programs
Technical Seminars and Workshops
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