NNME Northeast Launches to Strengthen Semiconductor Workforce Pathways Across the Greater Northeast

Regional collaboration led by NY Creates and SUNY will connect education, workforce, industry and economic development partners across 12 states as part of the National Network for Microelectronics Education

NY Creates (the New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering, and Science), in partnership with the State University of New York, industry leaders, workforce organizations, higher education institutions, and economic development partners from across the Greater Northeast, today announced the launch of NNME Northeast, one of the first Regional Nodes of the National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME).

Led by the Trump Administration’s U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and implemented nationally by the SEMI Foundation as the NNME Hub Operator, NNME Northeast will help strengthen and scale workforce pathways into semiconductor and microelectronics careers across a rapidly growing region including New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.

The Regional Node is supported by up to $20 million over five years from NSF, along with an additional $900,000 investment from New York State Empire State Development focused on workforce development initiatives within New York.

NNME Northeast brings together more than 90 partners representing community colleges, universities, K-12 systems, workforce development organizations, economic development agencies, community-based organizations, and semiconductor employers to help build a more connected, employer-aligned talent ecosystem for the microelectronics industry.

As the Regional Node lead, NY Creates will help coordinate regional collaboration and industry alignment efforts across the broader Northeast ecosystem, working alongside SUNY as academic convener and key industry partners including Micron Technology.

The initiative builds upon existing regional momentum, including the Micron Northeast University Semiconductor Network, registered apprenticeship partnerships, workforce innovation collaboratives, and growing public-private investments in semiconductor manufacturing, research, and advanced technology development across the region.

Rob Simpson, CEO at CenterState CEO said, “As Central New York plans for unprecedented growth and generational opportunity, we must think at a larger scale and develop new partnerships to best prepare workers for careers in the semiconductor industry. We are proud to be a subrecipient of the National Network for Microelectronics Education award. Through this initiative, we will collaborate with peers across the Northeast to deepen our understanding of how to build and sustain a workforce ready for careers in microelectronics manufacturing. This investment will support implementation of the Micron-approved Future Ready Workforce Innovation Consortium (FRWIC) 2025-2026 Roadmap, aligning jobseeker outreach, career exploration, and curriculum design with the evolving workforce needs of Central New York’s semiconductor sector. We are deeply grateful to our partners at NY Creates and SUNY for their leadership and vision in addressing our region’s critical workforce needs. We also appreciate Micron’s continued engagement and support, as well as Syracuse University’s partnership with FRWIC.”