A new county-wide STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) school is coming to Onondaga County.

The first-of-its-kind school in New York was marked with a groundbreaking Thursday morning that included Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Hochul joined Micron executives and other state leaders Thursday for the groundbreaking of the first county wide STEAM High School in New York, expected to open in 2025.

The governor also announced the state and Micron are committing $4 million to train high school and middle school students for high-tech jobs. That funding will allow school districts to develop their own curriculum in semiconductors and high-tech manufacturing.

“What we’re proposing on top of the STEAM school is to have 10 districts in New York state working on a pilot based upon these frameworks so we have a real pathway, we have a real pipeline from students of today to the jobs of today and tomorrow," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEAM-related jobs are projected to grow by 8.8% from now to 2028. That’s almost 4% higher than non-STEAM related positions.

The curriculum hopes to make students more aware of one of the fastest growing industries in the world today.

“Start this work not after kids graduate from high school, but beforehand," Weingarten said. "Let's expose kids to the kind of work that may be available in Central New York. Let them have more choices."

Weingarten helped create the framework for the curriculum with teachers and Micron. It will teach students everyday skills like analyzing information, thinking critically and applying knowledge. The framework will start to be experimented in schools next fall.

“So we’re giving a gift of a great education in a place that's going to be a nurturing learning environment," Hochul said. "When children leave here as 18-year-old adults after receiving this education, there’s no stopping them."

With Micron’s multi-billion dollar semiconductor plant on the way, this is more important than ever.

“Now that we’re drawing jobs here and Micron coming with 50,000 jobs, it’s incumbent among us to make sure that they have the workforce they need," said Hochul. "Where we’re going to educate them has to be state-of-the-art, have the latest technologies, has to have a curriculum that actually adapts to the needs of those companies.”

For Weingarten, it's about setting the next generation up for success.

“This is going to create many more opportunities for our young people and their families," Weingarten said. "And we start by starting with engagement, by starting with really connecting passion and purpose.”

Company leaders say there will be a need for skilled workers for positions ranging from engineers to technicians to scientists. Micron plans to invest around $100 billion over the next 20 years, and it's expected to create at least 50,000 jobs.