University of Texas at Austin officials announced March 28 that the university will partner with the Austin Community College District and Texas Institute for Electronics to create a semiconductor training center in order to meet the growing state and nationwide demand for semiconductor jobs.

Sorting out details

According to university representatives in a news release, the partnership will:
  • Create a joint Semiconductor Training Center for students at UT, ACC and other institutions to receive hands-on technical training
  • Host programs to advance or transition workers into the semiconductor industry
  • Develop semiconductor curriculum and credentialing, with plans for K-12 partnerships
Per the release, TIE will commit $3.75 million of initial funding to develop the training center, plus provide a variety of research opportunities for students and educators.

The first training programs at the center could begin by January.

Diving in deeper


UT Austin President Jay Hartzell said in the release that the U.S. needs a “skilled and sustained workforce” in order to bolster the semiconductor supply chain and mitigate disruptions.

About 115,000 semiconductor jobs are expected to be added to the country’s economy by 2030, representatives said, and 67,000 of those risk going unfilled due to a small workforce and lack of training programs.

In Central Texas, this workforce demand is expected to grow with companies such as Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Applied Materials, NXP Semiconductors, Tokyo Electron and Tesla opening in or relocating to the area.

Texas leads the nation in semiconductor manufacturing and is tied with other states to have the second-highest number of semiconductor workers, according to the release.


Also of note

The partnership comes on the heels of UT Austin’s recent announcement of its semiconductor master’s program, which will launch in fall 2025.

ACC also announced last fall that it had developed the Semiconductor Technician Advanced Rapid Start curriculum, or STARS—a four-week, full-time program with theoretical and hands-on training to provide students with the skills needed to transition into manufacturing technician roles.