Austin, Texas is set to become a key player in America's semiconductor saga as The University of Texas at Austin, Austin Community College District, and Texas Institute for Electronics team up to launch a new Semiconductor Training Center (STC). The center is a strategic move aimed at bolstering the workforce with skilled labor, ensuring that the industry's projected demand for approximately 115,000 new jobs by 2030 is met with qualified candidates, according to a statement obtained by UT News.

In practical terms, the STC promises to be a hands-on technical training hub, marrying academic theory with real-world application. Designed to cater to the varied needs of the semiconductor workforce, the STC's offerings will range from equipment techniques to engineering prowess. In collaboration, UT, ACC, and TIE will build stackable, skill-based micro-credentials and develop related education initiatives that extend into K-12 partnerships, subsequently ensuring the continuity, of talent nurturing right from the early stages of education.

President Jay Hartzell of UT expressed the institution's commitment to the semiconductor industry, which has marked its historical contributions to the advancement of technology in the US. "America needs a skilled and sustained workforce to bolster our supply chain and mitigate disruptions," Hartzell told UT News. This partnership, he added, would "bring together our exceptional faculty, students, and top-ranked programs with Austin Community College's nationally renowned workforce training."

Amidst Central Texas's booming semiconductor sector, forecasted to escalate owing to the growth and relocation of industry juggernauts like Samsung and Tesla, ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart noted the expansion of the local economy and the significance of collaborations such as the STC. "When we can collaborate through programs like the STC, we're giving our students the best of both worlds," he stated, "access to one of the nation’s top research universities and ACC's advanced teaching and training facilities." In alignment with these educational institutions, TIE is also investing $3.75 million to kickstart the STC's development and offering resources in terms of research opportunities and cutting-edge facilities.

With the Texas Legislature recently appropriating $552 million to TIE, the partnership is set to pursue additional federal funding through the CHIPS Act. New courses are also on the horizon, with UT announcing a Master of Science in Engineering with a major in semiconductor science and engineering expected to launch in Fall 2025. ACC is not far behind, with the development of the Semiconductor Technician Advanced Rapid Start (STARS) curriculum, initiating a rapid upskilling program that's been crafted in collaboration with regional industry leaders and is set to be operational by Fall 2023. Jon Taylor, corporate vice president at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, highlighted the importance of such partnerships in fostering opportunities that lead to sustained economic success. The inaugural training programs at the STC should be up and running by January 2025, propelling Austin further onto the stage as a critical node in the semiconductor workforce network.