Department of Commerce and National Science Foundation partner to advance semiconductor workforce development

The U.S. National Science Foundation and the CHIPS for America Research and Development Office (CRDO) within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly invest in a new initiative to train the future semiconductor workforce at all levels for myriad job types across industry and the nation. As a first step, NSF and DOC are jointly issuing a public Request for Information (RFI), seeking input from the community to inform the new initiative.

Today’s memorandum of understanding paves the way for the creation of a National Network for Microelectronics Education – led by a Network Coordination Hub that will oversee a suite of regional consortia and other efforts that offer consistent, rigorous, engaging curricula, instructional materials, experiential opportunities, and more to talent throughout the United States.

“CHIPS for America will be successful because we’re not just investing in semiconductor manufacturing and research and development, we’re investing in the American people. Working with NSF, this new initiative will complement the efforts of the National Semiconductor Technology Center’s (NSTC) Workforce Center of Excellence (WF CoE) and help students and workers all over the country get access to the education and training they need for the good-paying jobs we’re creating in the semiconductor industry. This is yet another example of President Biden’s commitment to investing in a skilled semiconductor workforce and in American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

“We are thrilled to work across government to establish pathways for Americans to engage in the high-quality semiconductor jobs of the future,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “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.”

“This partnership, made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration, is ensuring that America has an innovative and dynamic workforce to lead and grow our semiconductor industry.” said White House National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard.

The Network Coordination Hub will be responsible for coordinating efforts to provide education and training in support of the semiconductor industry across the nation. Through this non-binding memorandum of understanding, NSF and DOC intend to jointly provide up to $30 million over the next five years to fund the Network Coordination Hub to work with institutions of higher education, as well as workforce and labor organizations, to adopt curricula and best practices that are effective and can be scaled; establish a public-facing digital portal to share educational digital resources for learners and educators; execute a communications campaign to raise awareness of careers in the semiconductor industry; and provide technical assistance to educators and trainers in the semiconductor industry.

The Network Coordination Hub and broader National Network for Microelectronics Education will align with and be complementary to the WF CoE and the White House’s Workforce Hubs. The WF CoE is initially funded by DOC and operated by Natcast, a new purpose-built non-profit entity created to operate the NSTC. The Network Coordination Hub and the WF CoE will share information on best practices in curriculum and education, as well as outcomes and data from the workforce efforts the Hub sponsors. The NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence will be the primary forum that brings together industry stakeholders to better understand its workforce challenges and to identify solutions, the National Network, including the Network Coordination Hub, will be the platform for disseminating those best practices through organizations around the country and in adapting those practices to the local conditions, stakeholders, and institutions. The White House Workforce Hubs are working to deploy these best practices to key regions where the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda is catalyzing historic private and public investments and creating good-paying jobs including in the semiconductor industry. 

As a first step, the RFI solicits information from interested parties about the Network Coordination Hub and the National Network for Microelectronics Education as currently envisioned. Respondents are encouraged to offer their own insights on activities that best support the agencies’ goal of creating an education and workforce development ecosystem for training workers for microelectronics employment in the U.S. in the months and years ahead.

About CHIPS for America

CHIPS for America is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development (R&D) Office, responsible for R&D programs. Both offices sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST is uniquely positioned to successfully administer the CHIPS for America program because of the bureau’s strong relationships with U.S. industries, its deep understanding of the semiconductor ecosystem, and its reputation as fair and trusted. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.

About NSF

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a Fiscal Year 2024 budget of $9.06 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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