Modern economic development requires educational development - by Stacey Duncan

When I was growing up in Broome County, obtaining a high-quality home-grown education meant you could – upon graduation – have your pick of high-quality home-grown economic opportunities.

Even as the presence of once-robust local giants like Singer Link and IBM dwindled while I was in school and considering what career I might pursue, there still were pathways to family-sustaining careers in both white- and blue-collar positions. With the right training conveniently available in the greater Binghamton area, I could see my future right here.

But in the decades that followed, our greatest exports shifted from technological advancements and world-changing machinery to our people. The loss of businesses and jobs caused multi-generational families to fracture as young people found employment elsewhere. We struggled to retain the transplants who attended college in our region because the opportunities once available to them had vanished.

New York state’s recent economic development boom presents the chance to reverse decades-long trends in the Southern Tier region, as we’ve seen in the other parts of the state. But that can’t happen without a well-trained, motivated local workforce.

Success in wooing high-tech and supply-chain businesses requires a robust talent pipeline that will keep businesses flush with the people they need to be successful. That makes the strong educational resources we’ve retained — even despite some companies shifting their focus elsewhere — a significant asset for getting back on track.

We are fortunate to be home to high-quality K-12 STEM offerings, regional apprenticeship and skills programs. Career training-focused associate’s degree programs, and bachelor’s, masters’ and doctorate programs all churn out whip-smart changemakers. When clustered together, they’re an economic development professional’s dream marketing tool for high-growth businesses hungry for talent.

New York’s most prominent case study on how educational clustering pays off is the Micron chip fab development in Central New York.

There, strong K-12 schools are being bolstered by a new regional STEAM high school that aims to fast-track students for high-tech careers. Union-led training programs are signing up everyone they can to join a construction workforce that will have decades of work right in their own backyard. Both two- and four-year colleges are tailoring specialized programs and facilities to the semiconductor industry while also uniting with universities across the Northeast to drive research and new student opportunities. All of it is happening with Micron’s backing; not just moral support, but financing, too.

This is an important lesson: Not only were the region’s existing educational opportunities a selling point for Micron as it considered where to build the nation’s largest high-tech cleanroom space. The company also understood, once it had made its selection, that investing in the local educational ecosystem would pay dividends for decades to come.

It’s an idea the Southern Tier can replicate. Southern Tier universities like Cornell and Binghamton University (BU) graduate three-times the national average in STEM education, and Binghamton University is the catalyst for both regional and statewide growth in the clean energy storage industry through the Upstate NY Energy Storage Engine – a federally designated Tech Hub. BU was also recently listed by Forbes as one of the top ten “public ivies,” excelling in both academic rigor and affordability.

Significant state and federal investment has spurred others like SUNY Broome Community College and Broome-Tioga BOCES to offer their own clean energy programs that flesh out the STEM education pipeline. And K-12 school districts are getting in the mix, too, like Chenango Forks High School, which boasts the only in-house battery training facility in the country.

We can do more. As the regional clean energy economy grows, we must continue to look for other STEM career opportunities that local students and transplants alike can access.

The next step is for economic development professionals and their government partners to attract companies that will put this newly educated talent to work. Along with a ready workforce, new businesses are looking for shovel-ready sites that offer the modern amenities that modern companies demand.

The ongoing study of the Broome Technology Park, for example, will help our region position itself to attract the companies in the semiconductor supply chain, like testing and packaging, as well as in industries like life sciences and agricultural processing that can benefit from the workers of the future that we’re in the process of nurturing.

The idea of creating, in essence, a self-sustaining, diversified economy isn’t new. But as New York sees rapid growth utilizing this model, it’s up to those who don’t want to be left behind to take action. Coupled with partnership from industry, communities will be able to scale these efforts even more quickly.

Stacey Duncan is executive director of The Agency; president and CEO of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce; and director-at-large board member of New York State Economic Development Council, Binghamton, NY.