NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY (NIIT) PARTNERS WITH FLORIDA ORGANIZATIONS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR ACCELERATOR EVENT

NIIT, the Florida Department of Education, CareerSource Brevard, FloridaMakes, and the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast discuss workforce development in the semiconductor industry

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Oct. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT) – the leader in developing the U.S. semiconductor talent pipeline through Registered Apprenticeships – will share insights on the national strategy to build that pipeline at the Securing Our Nation, Building the Future: Semiconductors, Nanotechnology, and Manufacturing Supply Chain Registered Apprenticeship Accelerator event.

NIIT joins fellow workforce development leaders from the Florida Department of Education, CareerSource Brevard, FloridaMakes, and the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Canaveral Port Authority.

The accelerator is timely, following a September announcement from Florida Governor Ron Desantis that $50 million will be dedicated to workforce development in the semiconductor industry, funded by FloridaCommerce and the Florida Department of Education.

"With Florida being third in the nation for semiconductor establishments, and fifth in the country for semiconductor manufacturing jobs, the state plays a critical role in the work NIIT does to expand the talent pipeline in the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing spaces. We're encouraged by Governor Desantis' commitment to fund workforce development in semiconductor manufacturing and look forward to establishing Career Opportunity Hubs and expanding the talent pipeline in the region through our innovative Growing Apprenticeships in Nanotechnology and Semiconductors (GAINS) program," said Mike Russo, President and CEO of NIIT.

NIIT's GAINS program provides participants the ability to "learn while they earn", positioning them for long-term employment in tech-related fields and advanced manufacturing. Additionally, the GAINS Gateway Program provides high school students and adults wishing to transition from unrelated jobs to learn foundational skills required in these high-value careers. Once participants are staffed in full-time jobs, they have the opportunity to continue their professional development by making a seamless transition into a more advanced GAINS Registered Apprenticeship.

For more information on NIIT and its programs, contact:
Martha Ponge at the NIIT: [email protected] 

For more information about the accelerator event, contact:
Melissa Byers at CareerSource Brevard: [email protected]

About the National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT)

The National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT) is a 501(c)(3) with a mission to identify roadblocks to innovation in strategic industry sectors – those important to the nation's security and global competitiveness – and ensure they are eliminated. Talent pipeline development is the major focus of NIIT, and through comprehensive industry engagement, NIIT is leading the deployment of a national strategy and infrastructure to broaden and build the talent pipeline for the semiconductor industry and strategic industry sectors. Through its National Talent Pipeline Development Initiative and the support of the federal government, NIIT has developed a comprehensive, nationally integrated approach that includes the alignment of programs K-12 through higher education and adult and veteran training, infrastructure to attract a broader population and improve access and connections to career and needed training, and the ability to scale to support the nation. For more information, visit http://www.niit.org.

About CareerSource Brevard

CareerSource Brevard, with its business-led board of directors, connects employers with qualified, skilled talent and Brevard residents with employment and career development opportunities to achieve economic prosperity. The mission of CareerSource Brevard is to facilitate and be the catalyst for workforce development services that are responsive to the employment needs of Brevard County. CareerSource Brevard is a non-profit, regional public/private partnership under CareerSource Florida. Visit http://www.careersourcebrevard.com or call (321) 504-7600 for more information about our services and resources.

SOURCE National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT)