Community colleges rush to expand semiconductor training as labor shortage looms US chip industry

Community colleges in Arizona are rolling out tuition-free, three-month “semiconductor crash courses” aimed at addressing a looming labor shortage in the U.S. chip industry. At Rio Salado College in Tempe, Ethan Mock joined the program after graduating from Northern Arizona University with no prior background. The course uses protective lab training to teach how to process silicon slices into chips used in smartphones, robotics and data centers, and includes interviews with major chipmakers in Arizona. The training model reflects the 2022 CHIPS Act, which has helped drive more than $800 billion into new fabrication plants. However, SEMI projects shortages of up to 157,000 full-time workers by 2030.