RTMA Celebrates Historic Federal Grant to Expand Registered Apprenticeships

Rochester – The Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA) through its statewide partnership with the Manufacturers Intermediary Apprenticeship Program (MIAP) is set to benefit from an historic federal grant which aims to expand Registered Apprenticeships for advanced manufacturing. The United States Department of Labor awarded RTMA partner organization, the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY), the $6 million grant. It looks to train and upskill those in manufacturing, including the semiconductor industry, for high demand, good-paying careers.

The program, New York Registered Apprenticeship Manufacturing Partnerships (NY-RAMP), is expected to help more than 800 New Yorkers in historically underrepresented populations receive the training they need to begin careers at major employers across the state. Building on MIAP, NY-RAMP will promote equitable access to Registered Apprenticeship programs for all individuals, regardless of their work experience or academic qualifications. The program will address Registered Apprenticeship program creation challenges specific to the region, such as identifying appropriate participants, working with businesses to create curricula, and supporting program retention.

“NY-RAMP comes at a crucial time in New York States’ economic growth, specifically for the employers in advanced technologies that are coming to our region or expanding and looking for skilled workers,” said Bob Coyne, Executive Director of the RTMA. “With the ‘NY SMART I-Corridor’ designation bringing semiconductor manufacturing into New York State, apprenticeship programs are more important than ever. As a member of the Manufacturers Alliance of New York, NY-RAMP will allow us to expand our training offerings and generate more awareness about the in-demand and good paying jobs in advanced manufacturing. We would like to extend our thanks to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his commitment to bringing manufacturing back to America, specifically New York State.”

To ensure successful scaling, the RTMA and its partners propose to develop and launch expansion programming in three phases and are recruiting an expansive list of dozens of regional and statewide partners: including those in advanced manufacturing, academia and workforce development.