Initiative provides a platform to bring together practitioners in advancing Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) and skill-based learning to help scale best practices in developing the nation's advanced manufacturing and tech talent pipeline.
HANOVER, Md., Oct. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Through its National Center for Skill-Based Learning™ (CSBL), the National Institute for Industry and Career Advancement™ (NIICA) has launched a new platform to help engage and inform practitioners interested in promoting skill-based learning and hiring through the establishment and expansion of RAs. NIICA's National Workforce Education, Career and Apprenticeship Network™ (WE CAN) platform and initiative is designed to help meet the nation's growing demand for skilled workers in the semiconductor, microelectronics, and advanced manufacturing sectors.
In its role as the U.S. Department of Labor's national industry Intermediary responsible for establishing and expanding RAs and pre-apprenticeships throughout the semiconductor, nanotechnology, and advanced manufacturing supply chains, NIICA works with regional stakeholders throughout the country. In doing so, NIICA promotes the sharing of experiences and best practices between various communities of practitioners; employers, regional industry intermediaries and group program sponsors, community colleges, Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, K-12 systems, economic development organizations, and state agencies.
WE CAN is designed to better facilitate making connections at scale throughout the nation, making it easier to share best practices and to help to create awareness of available resources to facilitate skill-based learning and hiring – and importantly, RAs.
WE CAN builds upon the success of NIICA's existing platform for its Growing Apprenticeships in Nanotechnology and Semiconductors (GAINS) program, expanding the opportunity for collaboration to a broader coalition of participating industry leaders, educational institutions, and workforce organizations. This expansion aims to foster greater innovation in skill-based learning across the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sectors. Building on the collaborative foundation established with NIICA and GAINS participants, WE CAN will now offer an expanded space for the exchange of ideas and best practices around skill-based learning, Registered Apprenticeships, internships, and talent pipeline development. This initiative opens these discussions to a wider network, ensuring that successful strategies can be shared and scaled.
NIICA has collaborated with industry representatives to develop a comprehensive database of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) that are required to succeed in advanced manufacturing and developed the nation's first Semiconductor Competency Standard. All the KSAs required in jobs within companies being supported by NIICA through its GAINS program have been cataloged and matched to curriculum needed to support the training for RAs. The Related Technical Instruction (RTI) is provided by a network community colleges throughout the nation whose curriculum have been aligned with these employer/job requirements.
NIICA's Semiconductor Industry Network of Community Colleges (SINC) is a network of over 50 colleges with curriculum that has been aligned with job KSA requirements to support NIICA facilitated RAs. Through WE CAN, stakeholders will be made aware of related resources so they can save time and expense related to developing KSA profiles for jobs and leverage existing resources made available by participating in RAs, such as the National Talent Hub.
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