Syracuse program creates a pathway from high school to college and ultimately into the region’s rapidly expanding advanced manufacturing workforce
By Stefan Yablonski
The first group of Syracuse City School District “Bridge to Manufacturing Learning Community” students graduated on Aug. 13.
Bridge to Manufacturing Learning Community is a six-week summer program created in partnership with Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection and funded through CenterState CEO.
It was designed to create a clear pathway from high school to college and ultimately into the region’s rapidly expanding advanced manufacturing workforce, according to Colleen Stevens, associate professor, department of electro-mechanical technology (ELM). She teaches in Onondaga Community College’s School of Technology, Engineering and Computing.
“This was the first time we ever ran it — it was the pilot,” she said. “The goal is for students to build on the skills they gained this summer by continuing their education at OCC and preparing for careers that are helping shape Central New York’s economic future.”
This particular Bridge program was recruiting recently graduated students, she explained.
“They graduated in June of 2026 from Syracuse City School District. All of the high schools were represented,” she said. “They were 18 years old. It ran for six weeks; we just finished in August. Six weeks, twice a week. We brought them in at 1 o’clock for lunch and then from 1:30 to 4 we had instruction. That block of time was a combination of math prep, that’s where I came in.”
A graduate of Liverpool High School, Stevens started teaching at OCC in 2017 as a mathematics professor.
Then there was a non technical skills piece, like problem–solving, emotional intelligence, communication and teamwork, she added.
Every day the students were getting technical instruction and non technical instruction.
Interwoven through the six weeks was an ongoing module lessons on financial literacy. One of the partners in the program was SECNY a credit union. They had a team come and talk to the students about financial literacy and building credit and budgeting and wealth management.
The program prepared students more for life than just a possible job at somewhere like Micron, according to Stevens.
“Exactly because this is what we call a direct career program which distinguishes it from other programs here. You come here for two years, you get your associate’s and then you are going right into a career,” she said. “The timeline between ‘I just graduated from high school and now I have my first real career–type job’ is pretty short — two years is pretty short.
“I was glad to see some of these nontechnical skills built into this because theoretically after one year they could be getting a pretty well-paid internship and after two years graduating and getting good jobs. So, catching them the summer before they start college is a great time. I think it was fun for the students to have some applied learning. We’re doing math prep and then we are applying the math and students are seeing how it is applied. That is pretty beneficial to them.”
Some of the students are now OCC students. A couple are going to other schools; in two cases they’re actually moving out of town.
There were nine in the class.
“We had nine through the whole program. The attendance was great; that was the success of the model, that the attendance was consistent. It was strong throughout the whole summer,” she said. “We will try to grow it more for next year. I don’t see why we can’t grow this to like 15 or 20 students for next year.”
Students who successfully completed the program received a certificate of completion, a laptop and a $1,000 stipend based on full attendance.
“It’s exciting! We’re right in the thick of it. We’re going to be the ones educating these future technicians,” Stevens said. “It’s energized the school and community. Who doesn’t want to be a part of it?”
Stevens has taught a class in the Micron-related Electromechanical Technology program. And has also been a constant presence in Micron Technology-related efforts, teaching young students in Micron-sponsored Chip Camp and Girls Going Tech events.
Learn more at www.sunyocc.edu.
