Without semiconductors, we wouldn’t have cell phones, computers, or many of the electronic devices we need to live in today’s world.
Today, the U.S. semiconductor workforce is mostly white and about 75% male. One-third of the workforce is over 55 years old, and it is aging because the industry had a booming period in the ’90s, after which many jobs moved overseas.
To create more semiconductor jobs in the U.S., the Biden administration passed the CHIPS Act in 2022, pumping more than $50 billion into the industry domestically.
Part of this funding will go towards apprenticeship programmes, where trainees are paid to learn, making these opportunities more accessible and helping to increase diversity.
Community colleges like Foothill College in the Bay Area host these programs, this is their second year.
On Sept. 24, a free professional development seminar will be held for Bay Area students to learn about career opportunities in the industry.
