Includes an anticipated $11.5 million for the first workforce development awardees to address critical U.S. job and skill gaps across semiconductor research, design, manufacturing, and production
The Biden-Harris Administration announced the launch of the National Semiconductor Technology Center’s (NSTC) Workforce Center of Excellence (WCoE), making a decisive step toward solving one of the most pressing challenges facing the U.S. semiconductor industry – workforce development. As the world experiences an unprecedented demand for advanced semiconductors, America’s determination to remain a global leader in this critical technology hinges on maintaining a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. In doing so, they will build on the Administration’s existing work to connect Americans to good-paying jobs created by the President’s Investing in America agenda—including launching nine workforce hubs across the country.
To address this, the WCoE, a critical part of CHIPS for America’s workforce development efforts, will bring together stakeholders from across the private sector, government, non-profits, training providers, community and technical colleges, universities, and labor organizations to develop innovative solutions to the industry’s workforce challenges, accelerate best practices, promote good jobs, and strengthen recruitment and training of the next generation of semiconductor researchers, engineers, and technicians.
The Department of Commerce’s expected $250 million investment into the WCoE over ten years will advance President Biden and Vice President Harris’s goals of driving innovation in the United States and supporting workers in securing good-paying semiconductor jobs. As part of today’s announcement, Natcast, the non-profit entity designated to operate the NSTC by the Department of Commerce, announced more than $11 million in anticipated awards across more than a dozen states and nationally through the NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance (WFPA) program to further support workforce development efforts.
“Our nation’s competitiveness relies on a strong, diverse, and empowered workforce,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “That’s why under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, we’re taking decisive action to provide our workers with the resources, skills and opportunities they need to secure good-paying jobs in industries of the future. The mission of the WCoE and WFPA will play a crucial role in this effort. With the Department’s proposed investments of over $500 million in workforce efforts, this announcement is a critical milestone in our strategy to build a robust workforce in the semiconductor industry to help fulfill the mission set forth by the CHIPS and Science Act.”
“The Biden-Harris administration continues to build a highly skilled workforce that drives innovation by investing in America and our workers,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “Today’s announcement will help to advance our nation’s competitiveness in the semiconductor industry – creating pathways, skills, and opportunities for workers across the U.S. Together, President Biden and Vice President Harris have put job-seekers and workers at the center of their agenda, because they know that that is how we truly build an economy from the middle out and the bottom up.”
WCoE Mission: Delivering Collaborative and Innovative Solutions to Workforce Gaps
The NSTC WCoE will be the dedicated anchor institution that brings stakeholders together to better understand the nature of, and find solutions to, the workforce challenges facing the U.S. semiconductor industry. The WCoE, led by John D. Ratliff, Executive Director of the WCoE and Vice President at Natcast, will lead collaborative efforts with NSTC members to ensure workers at every stage of their careers – from students to seasoned professionals – are equipped with the necessary skills and training to thrive in the semiconductor industry. The WCoE’s focus will be on fostering collaboration to ensure good-paying jobs and sustainable career pathways for American workers, while also driving U.S. innovation forward.
To achieve this mission, the WCoE will seek to be a trusted, interconnected, and neutral third party, with access to data and a focus on improving workforce access for all to help mitigate risks, reduce friction, and spread the rewards of collaboration. There will be three inaugural programs within the WCoE, each aimed at reshaping the workforce development ecosystem:
- The Amplifier Program: Focuses on scaling efficient, equitable, and industry-driven worker-centered workforce development practices that place workers in high quality jobs with family-sustaining wages and the free and fair choice to join a union. It will provide funding, foster partnerships, and recognize best practices in workforce retention, training, and education.
- The Signals Program: Leverages data and research to monitor workforce trends and evaluate program progress and outcomes. It aims to create a comprehensive understanding of the talent landscape, including supply and demand, while developing actionable insights.
- The Connections Program: Facilitates member services, tailored events, and hands-on assistance to meet the specific needs of NSTC member organizations, helping them to build the U.S. semiconductor workforce of the future.
Inaugural NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance Awardees
As part of this groundbreaking effort, Natcast intends to fund $11.5 million in anticipated awards to seven institutions supporting efforts to develop the semiconductor workforce ecosystem across more than a dozen U.S. states. The WFPA is the first Amplifier Program award and the first of many WCoE award programs expected to launch in the next decade. These inaugural projects are estimated to support the career development and deliver experiential training with innovative delivery models of more than 12,000 individuals, preparing them for long-term roles in the semiconductor industry. All projects include employer commitments, including commitments to interview, paid internships, and research projects. The first cohort of awardees, who will support demand-driven programs that address key skills and workforce gaps in semiconductor research, design, manufacturing, and production consists of the following lead organizations:
American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation (AFTEF)
AFTEF will use anticipated funding to expand a partnership with Micron to implement an advanced technology framework in high schools across New York, Michigan, and Minnesota. The program aims to equip students with the skills needed for careers in the microchip industry, fostering talent and bridging the gap between education and industry demands.
Idaho Technology Council (ITC)
ITC will use anticipated funding to launch the Enhanced Access to the Semiconductor Industry in Idaho (EASII) program. The initiative will provide comprehensive support services, such as childcare, transportation, and mental health counseling, to participants in semiconductor workforce training programs. With this support, ITC aims to eliminate barriers to program completion and facilitate smoother transitions into the semiconductor workforce for 430 participants.
Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD)
MCCCD will use anticipated funding to expand its semiconductor technician training offerings and launch the Maricopa Accelerated Semiconductor Training (MAST) program, building on the success of the Quick Start program. As the largest workforce training provider in the state, MCCCD’s expanded programming will prepare an additional 300 individuals for careers as semiconductor technicians in Arizona’s booming semiconductor industry, addressing the region’s growing demand for highly skilled workers and reinforcing Arizona’s position as a global semiconductor leader.
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
RIT will use anticipated funding to implement the Broadening Research and Inter-Disciplinary Graduate Education (BRIDGE) for Microelectronics program, with the goal to train 555 students at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels, and through a new online certificate program, across microelectronics-related educational tracks. The program emphasizes education, industry collaboration, and student support to address workforce shortages in the microelectronics sector.
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M will use anticipated funding to empower its WAVE-CHIP project. The project will equip more than 7,500 individuals in the semiconductor workforce with critical hardware verification skills, directly addressing the industry’s pressing need for qualified engineers. The projects impact will extend far beyond its immediate participants by training 109 community college and university-level instructors, ensuring a sustainable pipeline of skilled verification engineers for years to come.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
The UCLA Samueli School of Engineering will use anticipated funding to establish the Center for Education of Microchip Designers (CEMiD) to provide comprehensive training in analog and digital chip design to engineering students and practicing engineers. Along with co-PIs at Carnegie Mellon University, University of Hawaii, University of Notre Dame, and Stanford University, the program will equip hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students at universities across the country with the skills to design, fabricate, and test their own chips. The program will also help participants foster industry connections to create a self-sustaining workforce development ecosystem in the U.S. microchip industry. CEMiD plans to train professors at universities and colleges nationwide to help expand the reach and impact of the program.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Led by The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Illinois Semiconductor Workforce Network (ISWN) will use anticipated funding to address the critical shortage of skilled professionals in the U.S. semiconductor industry. This initiative will develop a diverse, highly skilled workforce through industry-aligned training programs. By collaborating with semiconductor ecosystem partners, Grainger Engineering will equip students with cutting-edge skills and career opportunities, strengthening America’s technological future in this crucial sector.
More information on the awardees can be found at natcast.org.
“The mission of the NSTC Workforce Center for Excellence is to develop a strong U.S. semiconductor workforce development ecosystem that seamlessly aligns with the rapidly evolving demands of today’s industry,” said Deirdre Hanford, Natcast CEO. “By working closely with employers and training partners, we will tailor the WCoE’s workforce programs and resources to address both immediate and long-term industry needs. This close collaboration will enable us to better anticipate future trends, bridge critical workforce gaps, and equip individuals with the necessary skills to succeed in a competitive global market.”
To inform and support the work of the WCoE, Natcast is establishing a workforce advisory board comprised of key stakeholders from the private sector, government, non-profits, training providers, labor, and academia. The advisory board will offer critical input on national and regional workforce strategies, ensuring the WCoE’s initiatives are demand-driven, worker-centered, and responsive to real-time industry challenges. Nominations for advisory board members can be submitted online at www.natcast.org/workforce through November 1, 2024.
The WCoE is working closely with relevant partners across the federal government, including workforce hubs in relevant regions, the National Science Foundation through its National Network of Microelectronics Education, the Department of Defense’s Microelectronics Commons workforce efforts, the Department of Energy and its National Labs, and the Department of Labor. The WCoE will leverage these federal partnerships to ensure industry is able to access and utilize key assets across the federal government.
“Training all Americans, at all levels, across all industries, and across all states is critical to U.S. competitiveness,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “This new center will open the door for more opportunities, more training, and more connection with industry to ensure that Americans have the training for the skilled jobs of today and tomorrow, and that the semiconductor and microelectronics industry has the skilled American workers to hire into jobs resulting from the impacts of the bipartisan ‘CHIPS and Science Act of 2022’.”
To learn more about the NSTC and the WCoE, visit Natcast.org.
To learn more about CHIPS for America’s R&D programs, visit CHIPS.gov.
