Twenty-four students graduated from the first ever Advanced Manufacturing and Nano-Technology Certificate Training Program today, in Batavia, NY.  These students were part of a regional pilot program designed to train workers in entry-level manufacturing skills for positions in companies around the state.  

Students were provided manufacturing and nano-technology training over a full-time 11 week course.  The graduates of the certificate program have been introduced to the skill sets necessary to succeed in a high-tech and advanced manufacturing environment and will enter a market with a growing demand. 

Developed by the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), the pilot program is a partnership with Genesee Community College (GCC) and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), funded by a grant from the New York State Homes and Community Renewal in conjunction with Genesee County.

Commissioner/CEO Darryl C. Towns of New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) said, "I want to congratulate both the graduates and the GCEDC for having the foresight and vision to create a region-centric template for economic development.  Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York is attracting manufacturers and leading industries from all over the country and all over the world.  New York is becoming Nanotech Valley, delivering what businesses need, including new graduates with the skills that manufacturers would normally have to invest considerable resources to train.  By funding the Buffalo East Tech Park in tandem with the creation of a workforce development program, our state is showing the advanced and green-tech manufacturing, high-tech, and life sciences industries that New York is  ‘open for business.’"

Many companies across the Western New York/ Finger Lakes Region utilize advance manufacturing in their processes and depend on costly internal training programs to get employees to a contemporary skill level.  "The graduates of the Advanced Manufacturing and Nano-Tech Certificate program have the skills to walk into a variety of manufacturing facilities and get to work," said Steve Hyde, President and CEO of the GCEDC.  "I am proud of the hard work and dedication they have shown and am confident that our region is ready to support high-tech companies," said Hyde.

"The collaborative efforts of GCEDC, GCC, and RIT have developed this program in an effort to bridge the gap between employers and prospective employees," said Mary Pat Hancock, Chairwoman of the Genesee County Legislature.  "Congratulations to the first graduation class of the Advanced Manufacturing and Nano-Technology Certificate Program.  These students are ready to enter the world of work and engage in the challenging new technology of the twenty first century," said Hancock.  

The certificate program will become a model for future workforce training programs that will support emerging industries and attract new companies.  New York State recently announced a $4.8 billion investment to support the next generation of nanotechnology and the Western New York Science Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park (WNY STAMP) will soon be ready to house Nano enabled manufacturing.  High-skilled manufacturing jobs are on the rise across the state making the implementation of this pilot program ideal. 

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Bringing this project to successful completion has been important to the participants involved.  “Equally important, it is and will continue to be, critical to the economic development of our community,” said John Jakubowski, Project and Workforce Development Consultant for the GCEDC.  “This pilot program demonstrates that we have a successful model which can provide ‘state of the art’ training, in a variety of areas, that companies are looking for in a constantly changing technological world.  We are fortunate that we have GCC and that we are surrounded by institutions like RIT so that working together we can create partnerships that result in success stories like our Advanced Manufacturing Certificate Program,” said Jakubowski.  

"I'm very pleased with how this innovative program unfolded," explained Jerry A. Kozlowski, Associate Vice President for Workforce Development at GCC, "but I'm especially impressed with the dedication we received from our students.  The program was designed to be an intense 11-week training experience, yet about 75% of our students had perfect attendance," said Kozlowski. 

"This is a testament to the quality of our graduates, and should speak volumes to local employers who are seeking people who are self-motivated, highly disciplined, and ready to hit-the-ground running," Kozlowski stated.

“RIT’s mission is ‘career-oriented’ education, delivering educational programs to meet the needs of industry,” said Dr. Michael Jackson, associate Professor and Director of Outreach at RIT.  It was this mission that led to the development of the nations only ABET accredited BS Degree in Microelectronic Engineering nearly 30 years ago to answer the needs of the newly emerging semiconductor industry. 

The advances in the semiconductor industry have brought RIT to the verge of Nanotechnology and exciting opportunities in photonics, optics, displays, solid state lighting, and sustainable energy.  Today, Jackson said, advanced manufacturing firms are again in need of innovative educational programs to prepare a competent workforce.  “It has been a privilege to partner with GCEDC and GCC to develop a pilot program to begin meet this need.  I firmly believe that Western New York has all the prerequisites to bring a major manufacturer to GCEDC’s  WNY STAMP.  The completion of this Workforce Training Program is a significant step to making STAMP a success,” concluded Jackson. 

“I have been with the students for all eleven weeks and we have shared many of the same experiences. The program is fast-paced and very diverse in nature covering both technical and soft skills,” said Michael Bakos, Program Coordinator.  “The students have been presented with a large amount of information over a relatively short period of time. Twenty-four of them have stayed the course and I look forward to hearing their success stories in the future,” said Bakos.

Program Details

The Advanced Manufacturing and Nano-Technology Certificate Program covered a diversity of topics including teambuilding, LEAN Manufacturing concepts, computer applications, work readiness activities, and technical subjects such as microelectronics, surface mount technology, and polymer processing.

Students were engaged for 11 weeks, 32 hours per week in classroom and lab activities providing soft skills and hands on opportunities.  Students also toured many local manufacturing facilities including Syntec Optics, Great Batch Medical, Automotive Corp., and Liberty Pumps.

The program was offered free to qualifying applicants and the Genesee County Career Center, assisted in the coordination and preliminary screening of applicants.