New York Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled plans for the $15 million, 5,000 square-foot Micron Cleanroom Simulation Lab at Onondaga Community College. The facility, which will be held to ISO Class 5 and 6 cleanroom standards and located at OCC’s Whitney Applied Technology Center, will be a vital tool to help to train students in Central New York for jobs at Micron. Construction is expected to be completed by late 2024 or early 2025. The unveiling builds on the Governor’s progress toward preparing Central New York for Micron, which announced last year a historic $100 billion investment to build a megafab campus in Clay, Onondaga County and create 50,000 direct and indirect jobs over the next 20-plus years. Renderings of the cleanroom simulation lab are available here.
“One year after Micron’s historic $100 billion investment in Central New York, these plans for a state-of-the-art simulation lab at Onondaga Community College are proof of our commitment to ensuring that the region is prepared,” Governor Hochul said. “From the launch of GO-SEMI to streamline the Micron project to securing investments in workforce, education, and child care, my administration is laying the groundwork for Micron’s highly anticipated arrival and ensuring that this project is one that moves Central New York – and all of New York State – forward.”
Onondaga Community College was selected as one of Micron’s partners in education – one of several priority sectors that will receive investment through a $500 million Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund. In addition to constructing the cleanroom, OCC is advancing its academic programs. This fall semester, the campus launched two Micron-related programs: Electromechanical Technology A.A.S. (Associate in Applied Science degree) and Electromechanical Technology certificate program. The Micron Cleanroom Simulation Lab is being funded equally by Micron, Onondaga County, and New York State through SUNY’s capital program, each of whom contributed $5 million.
