NAMPA, Idaho — Before her internships at Micron, Lorivern Saycon had modest goals.
"I'm just going to get an associate's degree and just work. That's all I wanted," Saycon said.
But those internships changed everything. Saycon met engineers, finance employees, and people managing facilities around the world. The experience helped her see how her classroom work applies in the real world.
WATCH: How CWI students are turning classroom lessons into career opportunities at Micron
"I get to take the stuff that I see and learn from the classroom and apply it. And I am able to grasp those concepts a lot, a lot more," Saycon said.
Saycon is among the students training at College of Western Idaho's Micron Education Center, where students are learning what it takes to fill high-demand jobs in the tech industry.
At CWI's Micron Day, students interviewed for technician positions, facilities roles, and apprenticeships.
Micron's Rachael Fullinwider explained how the apprenticeship program combines education with employment.
"Our apprentice program is a wonderful way to go where you get a 2-year degree as well as a full-time job at Micron, so you're earning while you're learning," Fullinwider said.
The skills students develop can take them beyond semiconductor manufacturing. CWI instructor Robert Novak teaches mechatronics, a field that combines electronics and mechanical automation. He says the discipline has applications in healthcare, assembly operations, and even his former work on telescopes in Hawaii.
"One of the really cool things about mechatronics, it's electronic and mechanical automation, and you're gonna always be doing that when you graduate. That's the kind of job you're gonna be doing. The good thing is, mechatronics is in almost every kind of environment you can think of," Novak said.
For Saycon, meeting people across different departments sparked an interest in the business side of the company — and raised her ambitions.
"Going from a technician to 'I want to go to school to get my bachelor's,'" Saycon said.
As Micron continues to build out in Boise over the next two years, the company says it will need up to 3,500 Micron-employed workers, with the expansion adding up to 15,000 jobs in the area.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
