Micron’s Arrival in Clay Bolsters OCC’s Workforce Role Onondaga Community College Focused on Student Success After Biden Speech

Students hope to get jobs with the computer chip manufacturer in the future.

JULIEANNE GILCHRIST: President Biden is speaking at Onondaga Community College tomorrow to deliver remarks on Micron’s announced plant in Clay. Sam Corcoran explains what this means for the OCC Community

SAM CORCORAN: As workers prepare for President Biden’s arrival tomorrow, excitement rings out through Onondaga Community College. Professor and Staff Faculty Senate Nina Tamrowski says Micron’s decision and Biden’s visit puts OCC on the map.

NINA TAMROWSKI: We’ll be a partner – an educational partner – with Micron, but also I think it just elevates our reputation and status in the community.

CORCORAN: Tamrowski and her students have been following Micron news ever since the computer chip manufacturer announced Clay as its plant location. Tamrowski says Biden’s visit emphasizes the importance of that decision.

TAMROWSKI: It’s just kind of the icing on the cake that this event’s happening tomorrow.

CORCORAN: With this news, the future for OCC students is bright. Sam Corcoran, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — President Joe Biden’s visit to Onondaga Community College on Thursday has community members not only excited for the day off, but for their future as well.

Micron’s announcement to build a chip manufacturing plant in Clay has emphasized to people at OCC, such as Faculty Senate President Nina Tamrowski, how bright the future is for students.

SRC Arena
President Biden will be speaking at the SRC Arena on Thursday to deliver remarks about Micron’s plant announcement in Clay.
© 2022 Sam Corcoran

Tamrowski said  Biden and his visit, in which he plans to make remarks on Micron’s announcement and its importance in American manufacturing, cement how impactful this is for the OCC community and Central New York.

“We’re here to help train the workforce people,” Tamrowski said. “This puts emphasis [that] role, which is growing for us.”

Nina Tamrowski
Political Science Professor Nina Tamrowski says her students have a brighter future with Micron coming to the area.
© 2022 Sam Corcoran

OCC has an applied engineering technology department.  Tamrowski said Micron plans to hire some of its 9,000 employees from nearby colleges such as OCC. Tamrowski added that OCC’s role in training potential Micron employees is crucial for the computer chip manufacturer.

“[The department] would be housing a clean lab, where they will be teaching technicians to do chip manufacturing,” Tamrowski said.

Tamrowski added that  the college and Micron have been working with each other for a while now to discuss how to move forward.

“Micron has been at our campus all for meetings and other things,” Tamrowski said. “[Today] is just the big event with politicians.”

Reported by
Sam Corcoran

Sam Corcoran

Sam Corcoran is a Broadcast and Digital Journalism student at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He is pursuing a career in sports journalism.

Other stories by Sam Corcoran

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