What STEP UP Is

STEP UP — Semiconductor Talent & Employer Partnership Upstate New York — is the workforce development component of the $40 million NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub. It’s led by Monroe Community College and operates as what the Corridor calls a “unified front door” for employers looking to access semiconductor workforce programs and pipelines across the Buffalo–Rochester–Syracuse region.

The program exists because the region faces a projected shortage of more than 10,000 semiconductor-related workers by 2034. That gap includes roughly 5,000 middle-skill positions (electrical assemblers, processing technicians, cleanroom operators), 4,000 construction and trades jobs (electricians, welders, pipe fitters), and 2,500 high-skill engineering roles (industrial engineers, software developers, process engineers).

STEP UP’s goal: close those gaps before they become a constraint on growth — and ensure that people from historically underserved communities fill a meaningful share of those jobs. The program has set a target of 30% workforce participation in the semiconductor supply chain from underrepresented communities by 2035, up from approximately 18–25% today.

What STEP UP Does

STEP UP operates across several interconnected activities:

Curriculum development: Working with Monroe Community College, RIT, and other institutions to create new credentialing programs and certificates aligned with what semiconductor employers actually need. MCC’s existing Optical Systems Technology Program — the only one of its kind at a U.S. community college — is being expanded specifically for semiconductor fab roles involving photolithography and optical processes.

Internships and apprenticeships: Creating structured pathways for workers and students to gain hands-on experience with semiconductor and supply chain employers.

Employer-led training: Partnering with employers to develop customized training programs that can be delivered at regional institutions and training centers.

ON-RAMP: A community-based recruitment and wrap-around services program that reaches workers in underserved communities. ON-RAMP recently established a permanent home in a redeveloped building in downtown Syracuse, creating a dedicated workforce training center for CNY.

Transfer pathways: Connecting community college students to four-year programs at RIT and other institutions, enabling workforce mobility within the semiconductor sector.

Who Should Partner With STEP UP

STEP UP is primarily an employer partnership program — it’s designed to work with businesses and organizations that hire workers, not just to train individuals. If you’re in any of the following situations, STEP UP is worth engaging:

• Semiconductor manufacturers and suppliers who will need to hire technicians, engineers, or operators as the Micron ecosystem scales
• Construction and trades companies working on or planning to work on Micron-related construction who need to recruit and train skilled workers
• Nonprofits and workforce organizations that run training programs and want to align their curriculum with semiconductor employer demand
• Community colleges and training providers looking to develop semiconductor-specific credentials
• Healthcare and social service employers who serve workers in the semiconductor sector and want to connect their population to career pathways

What Employer Partnership Looks Like

Employer partnerships with STEP UP are not one-size-fits-all. At the lighter end, partnership might mean participating in a job placement initiative — providing job descriptions, committing to interview candidates from STEP UP training programs, and reporting hiring outcomes. At the deeper end, partnership might mean co-developing a training curriculum, hosting apprentices, or sponsoring a training cohort at a regional institution.

The program is specifically designed to pair industry partners with semiconductor supply chain firms to develop joint training and job placement efforts. If your organization has semiconductor workforce hiring needs that are 1–5 years out, engaging STEP UP now means you have input into what the regional talent pipeline looks like by the time you need to hire.

ON-RAMP: The Community Entry Point

ON-RAMP is STEP UP’s community-facing recruitment program. It works alongside community-based organizations to recruit workers from historically underserved populations — including people without college degrees, returning citizens, veterans, and others who may not be reached by traditional recruitment channels.

ON-RAMP provides wrap-around services alongside training — things like childcare support, transportation assistance, and case management — that help participants complete training programs and successfully enter the workforce. The new Syracuse ON-RAMP center in the redeveloped downtown Sears building will serve as the primary CNY hub.

Community organizations that work with these populations are well-positioned to partner with ON-RAMP to funnel participants into semiconductor career pathways.

How to Get Involved

Contact the NY SMART I-Corridor through nysmarticorridor.com. For CNY-based employers and organizations, CenterState CEO is the primary local liaison — they can connect you to the right STEP UP contact and assess how your organization fits into the employer partnership framework.

Monroe Community College is the lead institution for STEP UP curriculum and training programming. Direct outreach to MCC’s workforce development office is also appropriate for organizations focused specifically on training program development.

Key Resources

• NY SMART I-Corridor Website — contact form to connect with STEP UP and other Corridor programs
• CenterState CEO — primary CNY liaison for Corridor programs
• Monroe Community College Workforce Development — STEP UP lead institution