Former Sears building in Syracuse to become first ON-RAMP center

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The former Sears building at 1300 S. Salina St. in Syracuse will be the future home of the first ON-RAMP workforce-development center. The flagship hub will anchor a “broader revitalization” of the site, which the City of Syracuse and CenterState CEO will lead, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced. ON-RAMP is short for One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships. The governor first proposed ON-RAMP in her 2024 State of the State address, and included it in the approved state budget. The Syracuse location will serve as a “critical gateway” for both job seekers and manufacturing and construction firms, supporting the region’s growing demand for skilled workers, anchored by Micron Technology Inc.’s $100 billion commitment in Onondaga County, Hochul’s office said. Empire State Development’s board of directors approved $8.5 million in funding for the flagship center, part of Hochul’s broader $200 million ON-RAMP initiative. The state will establish additional workforce-innovation hubs in the Capital Region, the Mohawk Valley, and the Finger Lakes. Staff for the Central New York ON-RAMP center will be temporarily housed at CenterState CEO, located at 115 West Fayette St., while crews redevelop the South Salina Street site. ON-RAMP is an initiative designed to expand workforce-development opportunities in advanced manufacturing for more New Yorkers. Training provided through ON-RAMP will be based on the successful model developed by the Northland Workforce Development Training Center in Buffalo. Northland’s model works to reduce the “major barriers” that prohibit students from enrolling and completing post-secondary education. Those barriers include transportation, child care, academic readiness, and affordability. Collectively, the four centers will combine industry, academia, social services, organized labor and community organizations to provide training and the “wraparound support necessary to empower more New Yorkers with the skills needed for careers in high growth industries,” Hochul’s office said. Initial training programs will focus on career exploration, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), financial empowerment, and trade-specific skills for construction and manufacturing. Construction training will include pathways to apprenticeship and trade-specific skills, and manufacturing training will focus on entry-level assembly and middle-skill technician training, including Onondaga Community College electrical mechanical technician training. In the first year, training programs are expected to serve between 150 and 200 New Yorkers, per the governor’s office. Upon completion of the new facility, the Syracuse location will offer flexible programs customized to employer skill and volume needs, create ways for community members to learn about the career that is right for them, and combine training with support to reduce barriers to employment. The Central New York ON-RAMP hub will work with local partners to provide a “wide array of services in a single, central location,” Hochul’s office said. Additionally, CenterState CEO plans to work with the City of Syracuse to explore how best to connect the new South Salina Street ON-RAMP location to the nearby City-owned lot, ensuring that these strategic properties are redeveloped with the community’s input. CenterState CEO will hold monthly virtual town-hall meetings to report on progress and hear from partners directly.