On Monday, October 5, GlobalFoundries CEO Hector Ruiz addressed the National Press Club on the workforce needs of high tech companies. In the midst of a challenging economic environment GlobalFoundries recently broke ground on a new $5 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility in Saratoga County, New York. The firm. according to Ruiz, chose a domestic location for its operation rather than China, Brazil or Russia because of the “ecosystem” created by the collaboration of government, educational institutions and the private-sector.
The underlying purpose of Ruiz’s talk was to raise awareness about the importance of a holistic approach — from improving infrastructure to bolstering workforce quality — in making American communities economically competitive. Key to GlobalFoundries’ success is access to a continual supply of workers who understand the fundamentals of math and science, and can handle increasingly complex technology manufacturing tasks.
Over the last 15 years, the state has been developing the Capital Region into a nanotechnology center. The effort, which draws on research being done at the University at Albany, has attracted scientists, engineers and many technology companies. In addition, educational institutions such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Hudson Valley Community College have set up programs to produce the skilled workers needed by the high tech sector.
