Semiconductor talent & employer partnership (step up)
Semiconductor Careers and Training in Upstate New York
Most of these jobs do not require a four-year degree. STEP UP connects the people who want in, the colleges that can teach them, and the employers who need to hire.
what step up is
What the Semiconductor Talent and Employer Partnership does
About 14,000 semiconductor jobs are projected for the I-Corridor over the next decade. Around 5,000 of them are middle-skill roles — technicians and similar — that do not require a four-year degree.
STEP UP is led by Monroe Community College with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the Greater Rochester Chamber and CenterState CEO. It works through two kinds of staff based in each metro. Industry Partners work with employers to define what they actually need, find training that matches, and help build hiring practices that widen the pool. Workforce Innovation Partners take that information back to colleges and training providers, and seed new programs where none exist. More than 75 institutions across the region have already committed to workforce programs, and over 100 training programs exist — but they were not built for semiconductor work, and they are spread across three metropolitan areas. STEP UP is one program of the NY SMART I-Corridor, the federally designated Tech Hub across Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca.
Source: STEP UP Component Project Narrative. Job counts are coalition projections built on public employer commitments.
5,000
Around 5,000 of the roles coming to this region are middle-skill positions — technicians and similar — that do not require a four-year degree. A further 2,500 are engineering roles, and 4,000 are construction jobs, with demand peaking as early as 2026.
Source: STEP UP Component Project Narrative — coalition projection built from public employer commitments and modeled indirect jobs
Who Step up is for
Who Can Work in Semiconductor Manufacturing?
You’re looking for a career change
You do not need a chip background or a four-year degree. Around 5,000 of the roles coming to this region are middle-skill positions, and construction demand peaks as early as 2026. Trades experience, manufacturing experience and technical aptitude all translate.
You’re an employer who needs to hire
An Industry Partner in your metro — at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the Greater Rochester Chamber or CenterState CEO — will work through your talent needs, point you to training that matches, and help you build hiring practices that widen the pool you can draw from.
You run a college or training program
Workforce Innovation Partners translate what employers say they need into program design, provide seed funding to pilot industry-aligned programs and certificates, and help replicate models that already work — like the electrical technology associate degree Onondaga Community College developed with Micron.
Source: STEP UP Component Project Narrative — scope of work and populations served
how it works
How STEP UP Builds the Pipeline
Training that leads to a job
STEP UP funds pilots of industry-aligned programs and certificates and scales the ones that work, rather than starting from scratch. The target is 6,200 people trained for middle-skill roles and 3,200 for construction by 2034.
A real picture of what employers need
A central, role-by-role database of workforce demand, built from an industry council of semiconductor executives and community organizations, combined with public labor market data.
Hands-on help for employers
Industry Partners based at the economic development organization in each metro, working with employers one at a time on talent strategy, inclusive hiring and retention.
Pathways that stay open
Working through ON-RAMP, New York State’s proposed $200M advanced manufacturing training investment, to bring programs into communities and provide wraparound services including childcare, transportation, and stipends.
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why here, why now
Why Build a Semiconductor Supply Chain in New York State
14,000
semiconductor jobs projected for the I-Corridor over the next decade
Source: STEP UP narrative — coalition projection
5,000
of those are middle-skill roles that do not require a four-year degree
Source: STEP UP narrative
4,000
construction jobs, with demand peaking as early as 2026
Source: STEP UP narrative – coalition projection
87%
placement rate at Northland Workforce Training Center over five years, 60% of students from minority backgrounds
Source: UB Research Institute and Invest Buffalo Niagara
100%
placement from Monroe Community College’s precision optics associate degree — the only one in the country
Source: data provided by MCC
$200M
proposed New York State investment in advanced manufacturing training through ON-RAMP
Source: NYS — proposed, not yet awarded
Proof
Where You Can Train for Semiconductor Work
Colleges and training centers with relevant programs:
Monroe Community College
Erie Community College
Onondaga Community College
Northland Workforce Training Center
Labor partners building pre-apprenticeship pathways:
WNY Labor Federation
UNiCON
Source: STEP UP Component Project Narrative. MCC runs the only precision optics associate degree in the country; Northland placed 87% of its students over five years.
FAQ
Semiconductor Career Questions, Answered
No. Of the roles projected for this region, about 5,000 are middle-skill positions — technicians and similar — that do not require a four-year degree. A further 2,500 are engineering roles that do. Community college programs, certificates and apprenticeships all lead into this industry, and part of STEP UP’s work with employers is removing degree requirements where they are not genuinely needed.
Monroe Community College, Erie Community College and Onondaga Community College all run relevant programs, as does the Northland Workforce Training Center in Buffalo. Across the region there are more than 15 community colleges, over 500 associate majors aligned with manufacturing, and more than 50 non-degree training programs.
No. The region’s existing manufacturing and trades workforce is the talent pool this industry is drawing from. STEP UP’s own analysis found that jobseekers are often simply unaware these opportunities exist, particularly in historically underserved communities, and that many employers use degrees as a proxy for skills — missing a talent pool that could fill quality jobs.
Contact the Industry Partner at the economic development organization in your metro — the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the Greater Rochester Chamber, or CenterState CEO. They work through your specific talent needs, identify training that matches, and where no program exists yet, help define the minimum viable skills to inform a new one.
Keep Reading
More on Semiconductor Careers in Upstate New York
Find a Semiconductor Career Path or Hire for One
Tell us which side you’re on. A workforce partner in your region will point you at the training programs, the hiring support, or the employers that fit. No cost, no obligation.