Schumer: We Must Train Workers Now to Meet the Unprecedented Growth of High-Tech Industries, Including Nanotech, that Will Create Thousands of Jobs in Capital Region - to Ensure Local Workers Fill the Jobs, Schumer Pushes Legislation to Partner Companies

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced his support for legislation that would create a federal grant program to help Capital Region schools and workforce training agencies produce students with the necessary skills to find jobs at growing nanotechnology and high-tech manufacturing companies. Standing with local business leaders and leaders from community colleges throughout the Capital Region, Schumer announced his support for the SECTORS Act of 2011, which would create Department of Labor grants to help manufacturers like GlobalFoundries, General Electric and others throughout the Capital Region work with local schools and workforce development groups to expand existing training and create additional classes and programs to teach students the skills they need to secure jobs at local manufacturing companies. GlobalFoundries and General Electric are both growing manufacturers, and are concerned that future jobs may go unfilled for long periods of time or that they will have to look outside of the Capital Region to find skilled workers to fill the jobs.

"High-tech manufacturing and nanotechnology are growing at breakneck speeds -- we need to make sure that Capital Region workers don't get left in the dust," said Schumer. "We need to make sure this technology boom is a boon for local workers. That is why I'm announcing my support of the SECTORS Act, which would enhance the partnering of schools, local industry officials and other stakeholders in the Capital Region to establish specialized worker training programs so that manufacturing companies like GlobalFoundries and GE can hire local workers when they have an open spot. This bill would be a huge boon for the region, and help fill good-paying jobs as our high-tech companies move full-steam ahead, expanding and growing by leaps and bounds."

Schumer was joined by the Presidents of Hudson Valley Community College, Schenectady County Community College, Fulton-Montgomery Community College, representatives from GlobalFoundries, and other economic development officials as he announced his support for the legislation. With GlobalFoundries set to create over 1,600 jobs in the next several years, and possibly more if additional chip fab plants are built, Schumer is seeking to ensure that the jobs created can be filled by Capital Region workers. General Electric already employs more than 7,000 people in the region and is expected to bring 100 new jobs to the Capital Region, with a portion of the jobs going to GE's Global Research in Niskayuna and GE's renewable energy headquarters in Schenectady. The company's wind turbine manufacturing facilities are likely to create many new jobs in the years to come.

According to the New York Department of Labor, the Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing industry is expected to see jobs grow by 135% between 2008 and 2018. During that time period, there will be an additional 100 jobs per year created in network systems and data communications analysis, and about 80 jobs per year in computer programming. GlobalFoundries will be seeking engineers, technicians, wafer fab operators, and business managers and administrators. Schumer is supporting the SECTORS Act to ensure that there are ample training programs available to help Capital Region workers learn the skills that will help net them one of these jobs. He is hoping to continue and replicate the success of organizations like the Center for Economic Growth's 21st Century Education Initiative, which is training students for high-demand jobs in the Capital Region.

The SECTORS Act is needed to help industry clusters and local businesses work with educational, workforce, and industry partners to ensure that local workforces have the skills to fill vacancies at companies like GlobalFoundries and General Electric. These companies can only do so much to ensure that the local workforce meets their hiring requirements, and the competitive funding provided through the SECTORS Act would provide schools and local industry partners with the resources necessary to train Capital Region workers for these high-tech positions.

For example, this bill would help create state of the art, specialized worker training programs at local schools and community colleges, focused on matching unemployed Capital Region workers with good-paying jobs. This could be achieved through outreach to high schools and community colleges like HVCC, SCCC, and FMCC to steer students on a training path, and by working with partners to develop a training curriculum for unemployed adults. The legislation would also help employer training agencies and economic development groups to partner with even more businesses to create new pathways to employment. As the economy evolves and worker needs change, companies, schools, and private groups could work together to overhaul training curricula to suit the current economy.

The SECTORS Act could also help expand recruitment and advertizing to market these job openings, develop better employee retention incentives, or expand internship and apprentice programs. Schumer stated that the SECTORS Act, originally sponsored by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would be an economic shot in the arm for the region, as it would help partner local industry, education and government leaders and encourage cooperative efforts to train the Capital Region workforce to meet the needs of the area's growing high-technology sector.

Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success Act of 2011 or SECTORS Act of 2011 - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require the Secretary of Labor to award renewable three-year competitive industry or sector partnership grants to eligible entities to develop strategies that: (1) encourage growth and competitiveness through work with employers within a targeted industry cluster; (2) help workers move toward economic self-sufficiency and ensure that they have access to supportive services; (3) address the needs of firms with limited human resources or in-house training capacity, including small- and medium-sized firms; and (4) coordinate with entities that carry out state and local workforce investment, economic development, and education activities.

Eligible entities may apply for a one year planning grant of up to $250,000 and a three year implementation grant of up to $2.5 million. Eligible entities receiving an implementation grant may apply for a $1.5 million renewal grant for an additional three years if certain conditions are met. Eligible entities must leverage increasing amounts of non-federal funding each year they receive federal funding.

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