MARCY — The State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome (SUNYIT) and Clifton Park–based nfrastructure are launching a new program to help develop the state’s information-technology workforce. The program will allow students to work on projects at the nfrastructure Center of Competency in Information Technology (NCCIT) site on the SUNYIT campus. The […]
MARCY — The State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome (SUNYIT) and Clifton Park–based nfrastructure are launching a new program to help develop the state’s information-technology workforce.
The program will allow students to work on projects at the nfrastructure Center of Competency in Information Technology (NCCIT) site on the SUNYIT campus. The center is a public-private partnership among nfrastructure, the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany, and SUNYIT.
The center works on technology projects for local and state government entities, institutions of higher education, and health-care facilities. Nfrastructure designs, builds, and operates technology infrastructure for public and private entities.
Students in the new program at SUNYIT could wind up working on just about anything nfrastructure has in its pipeline, says Larry Delaney, president of the NCCIT.
“Employers don’t just want book smart,” Delaney says. “They want guys and gals that have put their hands on things. They’ve designed networks. They’ve worked in a data center.”
Delaney says he’s not sure how many students will be involved in the program yet, but he is planning to start with two and scale from there. The program will also help SUNYIT students with required senior projects.
Nfrastructure staff members will mentor those efforts, Delaney says.
The effort at SUNYIT is just the beginning of what NCCIT wants to accomplish, he adds. The center also has an office at the University at Albany and a partnership with the Stony Brook University.
“This is the first iteration of something we intend to repeat at lots of SUNY schools,” Delaney says.
Students could work on projects including network monitoring, upgrades, design, equipment installation, and more, he adds.
The program makes sense for nfrastructure as well. One of the company’s priorities is to attract and retain top technical talent, Delaney says.
Working closely with SUNYIT and other schools will give the firm first crack at hiring some bright students. The NCCIT has six employees at SUNYIT. That total could grow to 60 or 70 or more given the pipeline of customer opportunities in place, Delaney says.
Nfrastructure employs more than 150 people companywide.
Students will receive academic credit for the internships and be paid as well, says William Durgin, SUNYIT provost. It’s a terrific opportunity for them to gain experience on projects for actual, real-world clients, he adds.
Students, he notes, are quick to detect projects that are designed by faculty as good academic experiences.
“There is no substitute in terms of engagement for real-world projects,” Durgin says.
Companies running programs like this one often give students backburner projects that accumulate over time, he adds. They’re often initiatives companies want to move forward, but simply don’t have the time or resources to execute.
SUNYIT is working to launch similar internship programs with other area companies, Durgin says. The school is looking to work with M. A. Polce Consulting, an information-technology consulting firm, on a program and wants to explore partnerships in advanced manufacturing and engineering as well.
M.A. Polce is based in Rome and has an office in Syracuse.
Contact Tampone at ktampone@cnybj.com