ALBANY, N.Y. — Syracuse will be home to the main location of a network of four new workforce-development centers, as outlined in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Jan. 9 State of the State address.
CenterState CEO will oversee the flagship facility. The centers will be part of the One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships, or ON-RAMP, which will work at “preparing New Yorkers for the jobs of tomorrow.”
Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, said the organization and those associated with it applaud the governor’s plan for the ON-RAMP initiative.
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“ON-RAMP’s flagship location in Syracuse will be a clear, go-to workforce resource for the entire community, whether a person is looking for a career or to fill jobs,” Simpson said in a Jan. 9 statement following Hochul’s address. “This proposal has the potential to transform our workforce development efforts and have a profound impact, particularly for disadvantaged populations, in unlocking the talent within our community.”
Simpson went on to say, “CenterState CEO is excited for the opportunity to lead the planning and design of the ON-RAMP hub in Syracuse. We are acutely aware that the time to invest in our advanced manufacturing workforce is now. CenterState CEO, with a multitude of regional partners, is currently addressing this through workforce development programming such as Surge Defense, Electrical Mechanical Technician and Surge Advanced Manufacturing. But these programs and others like it need to scale up to ensure New York keeps pace with expected industry growth, and that we do so equitably.”
ON-RAMP was among the components of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plans seeking to “grow and strengthen” New York’s economy as outlined in her State of the State message on Jan. 9 in Albany, per a release from Hochul’s office.
As the state continues to attract 21st century businesses in fast-growing industries like semiconductor manufacturing, ON-RAMP centers will offer credentials and training related to advanced manufacturing and focus on providing opportunities for disadvantaged populations, Hochul’s office said.
The program will focus on upstate New York, particularly the Capital Region and the Interstate 90 corridor encompassing Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, which was recently designated a federal Tech Hub.
In reaction, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh issued a statement on the afternoon of Jan. 9 that read in part, “Having an advanced manufacturing and construction workforce development hub in Syracuse is a concentrated effort to ensure underrepresented populations are engaged in the rapidly growing career opportunities in our region. It is more evidence of Syracuse’s rise in the New Economy.”
The governor’s plan “builds on her vision for a modern, 21st century economy fueled by innovative, next-generation businesses and high-skilled workers ready to meet their needs,” Hochul’s office said.
The plan includes investments to create business districts statewide, a “multi-pronged” proposal to open pathways to business ownership for immigrant entrepreneurs, and a $100 million expansion of the state’s FAST NY business-attraction program.
Hochul also announced expansions of the Teacher Ambassador and Registered Apprenticeship programs, new statewide offices to monitor workforce-development outcomes and help small businesses navigate environmental regulations, and a package of initiatives to rebuild the state’s public workforce.
