Intel Launches First-of-its-Kind Semiconductor Technician Certificate Program to Address Workforce Shortage

Intel Corporation is taking steps to address the semiconductor industry's workforce shortage by launching the industry's first stackable, shareable, and transferable one-year semiconductor technician certificate program. The program is set to launch in 2023-24 to build the talent pipeline and includes colleges such as Columbus State Community College, Marion Technical College, Rhodes State College, among others. The U.S. semiconductor industry is facing a significant workforce gap nationwide, as highlighted in a recent report by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). The report forecasts a 33% growth in the workforce needed in the semiconductor industry, from approximately 345,000 jobs today to roughly 460,000 jobs by 2030. 

However, based on current degree completion rates, 58% of the projected new jobs risk being unfilled, leaving 39% of chip factory technician jobs potentially vacant. Addressing this talent gap is crucial for the success of the U.S. economy and the semiconductor industry. In response, Intel is creating specific regional programs in partnership with local community colleges to meet its workforce needs and those of the semiconductor industry. Intel's new chip factories in Ohio are expected to come online in the next few years, delivering chips using the industry's most advanced transistor technologies. The initial phase of the Ohio project is expected to create 3,000 Intel jobs and 7,000 construction jobs while supporting tens of thousands of additional local long-term jobs across a broad ecosystem of suppliers and partners. Historically, Intel has invested regionally in technician programs in Arizona, Oregon, and New Mexico, and internationally in Ireland and Israel. To support the Ohio factories, Intel has taken key lessons from these regions to reinvent the way technician education is developed. The new one-year certificate program includes three newly developed courses aligned with the minimum technical skills required for an entry-level technician position. In addition to the technician certification programs created by the Intel Semiconductor Education and Research Program, Intel is also collaborating with the National Science Foundation in two programs: Enhancing Engineering Technology and Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician Education (ETSTE) and Future of Semiconductors (FuSe) to ensure the U.S. workforce is ready for a new era in semiconductor manufacturing. Intel continues to work with and rely on educational collaborators to offer other certificates, modules, classes, and micro-credential programs both locally and across the U.S. to foster talent from bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. programs. Potential entry-level semiconductor technicians and process engineers can learn more about opportunities in Ohio and at other Intel facilities across the U.S.