The New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering, and Science (NY CREATES), in collaboration with Raytheon, an RTX business, announced the deployment of the NY CREATES/Raytheon Workforce Training Program. This partnered instructional program offers participants an 80-hour course focusing on engineering skills, which are essential for success in today’s semiconductor industry. Participants will be immersed in areas of advanced training, including mechanical assembly, pneumatics operation, basic electronics components, and sensor technologies. Participants’ completion of this program signifies their advanced engineering competency and the value they can bring to the semiconductor manufacturing industry, which has been growing rapidly in New York State and across the nation.
“We look forward to this collaboration with Raytheon to help prepare participants for rewarding microelectronics careers. This valuable educational initiative exemplifies NY CREATES’ commitment to workforce development and the importance we place on such efforts to advance the semiconductor industry,” said Dave Anderson, NY CREATES President. “With our Albany NanoTech Complex as the launchpad, we are eager to work with our growing list of high-tech industry, academic, and government partners to provide in-depth, hands-on training that can help innovation-focused workers thrive and companies grow.”
“Raytheon’s commitment to innovation and talent have never been higher,” said Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon. “The knowledge and skill advancement our engineers gain through the Workforce Training Program will enable Raytheon to continue to lead the development and delivery of vital, cutting-edge semiconductor technology.”
The inaugural round of participant training included Raytheon employees who successfully completed the two-week program, with plans for additional participants to enroll in the coming months.
“The NY CREATES/Raytheon Workforce Training Program is designed to train participants with the specialized skills required to excel in semiconductor manufacturing,” said Dr. Robert Geer, NY CREATES Vice President of Education & Workforce Development. “Our partnership with Raytheon not only validates the quality of our training content, but it also demonstrates our pivotal role in shaping the future of the semiconductor industry.”
This training program builds upon the strong foundation established by Northeast Advanced Technological Education Center (NEATEC) workforce development efforts. NEATEC is supported by the National Science Foundation and centered at NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex. NEATEC education and training content has been used at NY CREATES to train more than 700 technicians and engineers employed in the U.S. semiconductor industry. This content is also in use in colleges and university partners in New York State and Arizona to support innovation-focused skills building for students entering the broader nanotechnology and microelectronics industries.