Two government agencies are collaborating to accelerate the training of the future semiconductor workforce by forming a national network for chip education.
Called the National Network for Microelectronics Education, the U.S. National Science Foundation and a CHIPS and Science Act division inside the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) will jointly invest in the initiative to train semiconductor workers at all levels of jobs across the industry and nation.
The National Network for Microelectronics Education will oversee a suite of regional consortia and other efforts to offer future workers:
- Consistent microelectronics curricula
- Instructional materials
- Job opportunities
"Through partnerships and access to training for the skilled jobs that are needed to support America’s chips industry, we can keep the U.S. competitive and open new opportunities to expand geographically diverse participation in graduate, undergraduate and community college programs relevant to microelectronics in every corner of the country,” said Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of NSF.
The deal
Under the agreement, NSF and NIST will jointly provide up to $30 million over the next five years to fund the National Coordination Hub that will work with higher education, industry and workforce and labor organizations to adopt the curricula and best practices that can be scaled. The hub will also establish a public-facing digital portal to share educational digital resources for learners and educators as well as execute a communications campaign to raise awareness of new opportunities for a career in the semiconductor industry.
The hub along with the broader National Network for Microelectronic Education will also look at the best practices to organizations around the country, adapting them to local conditions, stakeholders and institutions. This includes regions where private and public investments are creating new jobs through the CHIPS Act, particularly the semiconductor industry, with direct funding coming to major chipmakers that are building new fabrication facilities across the U.S.
