ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Syracuse Surge is the city’s “strategy for inclusive growth in the new economy, which strives to ignite economic growth and neighborhood transformation in Syracuse and Central New York.” The most recent Syracuse Surge workforce programming included 34 participants in three programs, according to a Dec. 18 CenterState CEO release. CenterState CEO and […]
ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Syracuse Surge is the city’s “strategy for inclusive growth in the new economy, which strives to ignite economic growth and neighborhood transformation in Syracuse and Central New York.”
The most recent Syracuse Surge workforce programming included 34 participants in three programs, according to a Dec. 18 CenterState CEO release.
CenterState CEO and its partners at Onondaga Community College (OCC), OCM BOCES, and SUNY Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) honored the 34 graduates during a ceremony held at OCC on Dec. 15.
The graduation ceremony included remarks from OCC President Warren Hilton; Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh; SUNY EOC VP Tim Pennix; Meghan Durso, CenterState CEO’s senior manager of industry partnerships for Work Train; Mari Ukleya, director of adult education at OCM BOCES; Cainaan Webb, CenterState CEO’s Syracuse Surge career navigator; and program graduate Miquel Velez.
“Syracuse Surge’s commitment to excellence and opportunity has been a guiding light for many of us, proving that education is not a privilege reserved for a select few but a right that should be accessible to all,” Velez said in the release. “The journey doesn’t end here. Armed with the knowledge and skills acquired through Syracuse Surge, we are now prepared to face challenges of the professional world. But let us not forget the importance of giving back to our community. Let us be ambassadors for education and advocates for those who still need a helping hand. Let our journey inspire hope and may our success be a testament to the transformational power of education.”
Candidates graduated from programs that included Surge Advanced Manufacturing (SAM), hosted by SUNY EOC; Surge Defense, also hosted by SUNY EOC; or Electrical Mechanical Technician (ELM), hosted by OCC and OCM BOCES (Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services).
About the programs
SAM and ELM are both multi-week, paid programs providing entry and mid-skill training for advanced manufacturing, CenterState CEO said. Surge Defense is a paid, 13-week program that prepares people for careers in clean, high-tech assembly jobs in government-contracting facilities.
As CenterState CEO describes it, these advanced-manufacturing industry partnerships bring together community organizations such as the Syracuse Community Center Collaborative, training providers, and employers to create workforce-development initiatives “designed to ensure people gain the skills employers want and move into jobs quickly, while candidates receive the needed support to be successful,” per the release.
“By having these three programs run concurrently, there is an accessible entry point for anyone who wants to grow their skills and explore a career in Central New York’s advanced manufacturing industry,” Aimee Durfee, CenterState CEO’s VP of workforce innovation, said. “The success of these programs is a guide for future workforce development initiatives that will be essential in ensuring employers have the talent they need, and that all community members can be a part of the region’s exciting growth.”
Candidates started the morning interviewing with regional employers, including Anoplate; TTM Technologies; Critical Path Integrators; Bluefors; United Radio; Belden/PPC; and LOTTE Biologics. Many of the candidates from the Surge Defense program received conditional offers from the program’s employer-collaborator Lockheed Martin Corp., CenterState CEO said.
