CICERO, N.Y. — Cicero-North Syracuse High School on Thursday hosted a roundtable discussion on Micron Technology’s (NASDAQ: MU) pilot program on career and technical-education opportunities. The program aims to help students get ready for thousands of new technical careers in the semiconductor industry by piloting a curricular framework, teacher training, and work-based learning opportunities in […]
CICERO, N.Y. — Cicero-North Syracuse High School on Thursday hosted a roundtable discussion on Micron Technology’s (NASDAQ: MU) pilot program on career and technical-education opportunities.
The program aims to help students get ready for thousands of new technical careers in the semiconductor industry by piloting a curricular framework, teacher training, and work-based learning opportunities in 10 New York districts.
Those participating in the event included U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo; New York Gov. Kathy Hochul; Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT); April Arnzen, VP and chief people officer of Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU); and local union representatives and educators from C-NS, Syracuse, and Watertown.
Raimondo recalled the first time Weingarten brought the idea for such a program to her attention.
“She came to me years ago and said I have an idea. Will you work with me. I think if you’re going to be creating all these CHIPS jobs, we can work with public school systems training teachers to train students to get those jobs, and I said sounds good to me,” the Commerce Secretary said.
Weingarten was referring to jobs resulting from the federal CHIPS and Science Act, which helped bring Micron to the town of Clay.
As her opening remarks continued, Raimondo said, “We’re going to do [such a program] here, and we’re going to expand … we’re putting almost $2 million into the initiative, to expand also to Minnesota and Michigan.”
Raimondo also told the gathering she had earlier met with Lucas Labonoski, a 10th grade student at C-NS, who told her that he wants to learn in a “hands on” way that will lead to an actual job in my community.
“And so that’s what we’re doing here,” she added. “We’re creating the CHIPS jobs and they will go to students who can learn in a hands-on way the skills that directly lead to a job. That’s what this is about.”
In her remarks, Hochul recalled her discussion with Micron’s leadership during the effort to get the company to come to the town of Clay. Micron’s CEO made Hochul promise that the workforce would be available.
“And of course, I said, no problem. We’re going to do it. This is New York,” Hochul said. “And today is about that. This is about planting the seed in young people and getting them excited about these careers that’ll lift their families out of their circumstances.
