On September 25, 2024, Natcast announced more than $11 million in anticipated awards to 7 institutions supporting efforts to develop the semiconductor workforce ecosystem across more than a dozen U.S. states. The anticipated awards support established programs with a track record of success seeking to scale; growing programs seeking to expand or realign; and new programs that meet a previously unaddressed need, opportunity, or theory of change. These programs are projected to support more than 12,000 individuals entering or advancing careers in the semiconductor industry and will address critical U.S. job and skill gaps across semiconductor design, manufacturing, and production.
Anticipated WFPA Partners
Anticipated Future Impact
American Federation of Teachers EducationAL Foundation (AFTEF)
Anticipated Funding: $1,720,400
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.
“We are grateful that Natcast is recognizing, in its first ever set of grants, the promise and potential of these curriculum frameworks that educators, in partnership with industry, have authored through their union. What we seeded in New York will now spread as model nationwide. These frameworks pave student pathways to the booming microchip sector and lead directly to good, middle-class jobs. They connect teacher expertise and student passions and curiosity to career, college and life. And they’re anchored in our shared vision of real solutions that puts kids and educators at the center of the manufacturing renaissance happening right now across America.”
– Randi Weingarten, AFT President
Idaho Technology Council (ITC)
Anticipated Funding: $1,236,720
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.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees and members of the Idaho Technology Council, we are excited to collaborate with Natcast as a recipient of the Workforce Partner Alliance Program. As a leading voice for industry innovation, we recognize the critical need for a sustainable workforce in the semiconductor sector. This partnership presents a tremendous opportunity to support dedicated individuals who face barriers to achieving meaningful employment, helping to close the gap in workforce development.”
– Diane Bevan, ITC President and CEO
Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD)
Anticipated Funding: $1,785,785
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.
“MCCCD plays a critical role in advancing Arizona’s position as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing. The Quick Start program and the proposed Maricopa Accelerated Semiconductor Training (MAST) initiative represent our deep commitment to fulfilling immediate industry demands and building a sustainable talent pipeline for the future. We are grateful for the NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance Program for helping us empower students with the skills they need for high-quality, high-paying careers. We look forward to continued collaboration with our industry partners, including Intel, TSMC, and others, as we shape the workforce of tomorrow.”
– Leah Palmer, Executive Director of the Arizona Advanced Manufacturing Institute at Maricopa Community Colleges
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Anticipated Funding: $1,479,947
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.
“RIT is thrilled to be part of the NTSC Workforce Partner Alliance Program. RIT takes great pride in its heritage of microelectronics education and training, having launched the first ABET accredited Microelectronics Engineering degree program in the nation. The opportunity to leverage our heritage to help meet the critical workforce need in the U.S. semiconductor industry and close the key skills and labor market gaps is something we are wholeheartedly committed to. This will provide us the opportunity to support an industry that has been so important to our university and to help fuel our national economic growth and ensure our national security.”
– Dr. Ryne Raffaelle, Vice President for Research and Associate Provost at RIT
Texas A&M University
Anticipated Funding: $1,280,698
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.
“As leaders in engineering education, we are proud to shape the future generation of engineers with a global impact and a strong tradition of research and innovation. This award strengthens our leadership in the semiconductor industry, and we look forward to its continued impact.”
– Dr. Robert H. Bishop, Vice Chancellor and Dean of Engineering and Director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Anticipated Funding: $1,994,234
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.
“We are honored that the council has selected UCLA to be the home for the new Center for Education of Microchip Designers. We look forward to educating and training a critically needed talent pool of highly skilled integrated chip designers and engineers.”
– Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Anticipated Funding: $2,000,000
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.
“At The Grainger College of Engineering, we are proud and excited to lead the new Illinois Semiconductor Workforce Network. Developing a diverse, skilled workforce for the U.S. semiconductor industry is a critical need, and this award is a vote of confidence in our ability to scale our impact. We are eager to exemplify the power of academic-industry partnerships to provide our students with the best training and opportunities. Together, we will address this national challenge and secure America’s technological future.”
– Dr. Rashid Bashir, Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign