A Message from the CEO

At NIICA, our mission is to help ensure the nation has a strong, sustainable talent pipeline to support strategic industries—particularly advanced manufacturing and technology sectors critical to U.S. national security, global competitiveness, and continued leadership in innovation. We advance this mission by building structured, scalable programs and systems that align closely with industry needs and expand access to high-quality careers. 

As you know, this work continues every day through our collaboration with employers, educators, and government leaders who share our commitment to Registered Apprenticeship (RA) as a proven tool for long-term workforce development, national competitiveness, and expanding opportunity. 

Through our Center for Skill-Based Learning™ (CSBL™), NIICA provides a platform for advancing skill-based workforce strategies across sectors. Within CSBL, the Growing Apprenticeships in Nanotechnology and Semiconductors™  (GAINS™) program supported employers and partners in designing and expanding apprenticeship models that are practical, sustainable, and responsive to the real workforce demands of semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and related technology-driven industries. 

Over the course of NIICA’s collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Office of Apprenticeship—and with the support of partner organizations and intermediaries—GAINS™ exceeded all contract commitments, with a year-end projection of 3,911 RAs and an additional 8,792 apprentices committed to the program. This work helped establish and align RA programs across strategically important industries nationwide, while laying the foundation for broader, competency-based approaches that continue to inform NIICA’s ongoing apprenticeship and workforce development efforts. 

The need for this work continues to grow. As these sectors evolve, demand for skilled workers is accelerating—along with the urgency for a coordinated national strategy to expand participation, strengthen training capacity, reduce fragmentation, and support the industries that power our economy. 

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to advance RAs nationwide over the past four years, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor and alongside the many employers, intermediaries, and educators who contributed to this work. The strategies, partnerships, and infrastructure developed through GAINS™ continue to support states, regions, and employers as they build the talent needed to sustain and grow critical industries—while creating pathways for individuals to pursue meaningful, high-value careers. 

Advancing RAs remains central to NIICA’s strategy. Through GAINS™ and NIICA’s ongoing role as a National Program Sponsor, we continue to support partners in implementing apprenticeship solutions that are structured, scalable, and built to last—enabling individuals to enter and advance in careers through the opportunity to learn while they earn. 

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made together, and we remain focused on what’s ahead: supporting employers, strengthening workforce systems, and opening doors to high-value careers across the country. 

To all who have partnered with us—thank you. We look forward to the work still to come.  

Michael A. Russo 

President & CEO