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. This will address the region’s growing demand for highly skilled workers and reinforcing Arizona’s position as a global semiconductor leader.
This anticipated award is through the NSTC WFPA. 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 projects are projected to support more than 11,000 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.
Visit natcast.org to Learn More About the 2024 WFPA Awardees.
Natcast is a purpose-built, non-profit entity created to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), established by the CHIPS and Science Act of the U.S. government. The NSTC is a public-private consortium dedicated to semiconductor R&D in the United States. A key component of the CHIPS Act, the NSTC will convene the U.S. government, allied and partner nations, and organizations across the semiconductor ecosystem—including academia and businesses of all kinds—to address the most challenging barriers to continued technological progress in the domestic semiconductor industry, including the need for a capable workforce. The NSTC reflects a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the U.S. to drive the pace of innovation, set standards, and re-establish global leadership in semiconductor design and manufacturing
Read the full press release here.