Hobbs, Intel announce new semiconductor workforce training program in Arizona – KJZZ
Intel is partnering with the state of Arizona to infuse new talent into the state’s semiconductor industry workforce.
Participants in the one-year program will be Intel employees “on day one” and will learn the skills needed to work as semiconductor manufacturing facility technicians.
Intel said new workforce pipelines are needed to provide domestic semiconductor manufacturers with the workforce needed to meet demand. The company cited data from the Semiconductor Industry Association, which found the industry is projected to add 115,000 jobs by 2030 and that 67,000 of those jobs could go unfilled without new programs to increase the country’s skilled semiconductor workforce.
“In an era where technology evolves at lightning speed, the demand for skilled workers has never been more pressing, and it’s critical that we cultivate the next generation of talent,” Intel Chief People Officer Christy Pambianchi said.
The program, which will run for five years, will be funded by $4 million in federal Covid relief funds sent to the state under the American Rescue Plan Act that was passed by Congress in 2021. The funding is part of a larger $100-million chunk of ARPA funds given to the Arizona Commerce Authority to fund semiconductor workforce development, said Patrick Ptak, an executive vice president with the ACA.
Gov. Katie Hobbs said the program will give Arizonans without experience in the industry a pathway to learn new skills.
“It’s a bridge for middle class Arizonans to enter our state’s fast growing semiconductor industry, and launch a career with limitless potential,” Hobbs said.
The state and Intel are also partnering with the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization that hosts work training programs for women, and Hobbs said the program will offer opportunities to women and other groups that are underrepresented in the field
The SEMI Foundation, an educational nonprofit, and the Maricopa County Community College District are also participating in the program, and apprentices will earn a certificate and college credits.