National Institute of Standards and Technolog y | U.S. Departme nt of Commerce 1

CHIPS for America

Workforce Development Planning Guide Webinar

March 30, 2023
National Institute of Standards and Technolog y | U.S. Departme nt of Commerce 2

WELCOME

• We look forward to your questions. Click the Q&A button,

type your question, and click “Post Question” to submit.

• We will answer as many questions as possible today.

• Visit CHIPS.gov

• Get the Workforce Development Planning Guide

• Access additional resources for applicants and stakeholders

• Sign up for email updates

• Register for future webinars
National Institute of Standards and Technolog y | U.S. Departme nt of Commerce 3

Today’s Speakers

Kylie Patterson

Senior Advisor for 

Opportunity & Inclusion

Adrienne Elrod

Director of External and 

Government Affairs

Kevin Gallagher

Senior Advisor to 

Secretary Raimondo

Jessica Nicholson

Senior Advisor for 

Workforce Strategy

Ezra Kagan

Policy Advisor

Rachel Lipson

Senior Policy Advisor
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CHIPS for America Vision

Economic 

Security

Future 

Innovation

National 

Security

The CHIPS Act will 

strengthen supply chain 

security and increase 

economic resilience in critical 

sectors.

The CHIPS Act will spur 

innovation, increase 

competitiveness, and 

ensure long-term U.S. 

leadership in the sector

The CHIPS Act will ensure 

that the U.S. can 

manufacture advanced 

technologies, including 

secure chips for the U.S. 

military.
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Funding Opportunities

Late Spring 2023

2

nd Notice of Funding 

Opportunity

For material suppliers and 

equipment manufacturers

Fall 2023

3

rd Notice of Funding 

Opportunity

To support the construction of 

semiconductor R&D 

facilities 

1

st Notice of Funding 

Opportunity

For commercial leadingedge, current, and mature 

node fabrication facilities

February 28, 2023

Focus of today’s webinar

Submission of Statements of Interest for all funding opportunities encouraged
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Vision for Success

✓ The U.S. will have at least two new large-scale 

clusters of leading-edge logic fabs

✓ U.S.-based engineers will develop the process 

technologies underlying the next gen of logic 

chips

Leading-Edge Logic

✓ U.S.-based fabs will produce high-volume 

memory chips on economically competitive 

terms

✓ R&D for next-generation memory technologies 

critical to supercomputing and other advanced 

computing applications will be conducted in the 

U.S.

Memory

✓ The U.S. will be home to multiple high-volume 

advanced packaging facilities

✓ The U.S. will be a global leader in commercialscale advanced packaging technology

Advanced Packaging

✓ The U.S. will have strategically increased its 

production capacity for current-gen and mature 

chips

✓ Chipmakers will also be able to respond more 

nimbly to supply and demand shocks

Current-Generation and Mature

By the 

end of the 

decade... 
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Catalyzing private investment

Protecting taxpayer dollars

Building a skilled and diverse 

workforce

Engaging with U.S. partners 

and allies

Driving economic opportunity 

and inclusive economic growth

Accomplishing

these objectives

requires:
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Workforce Development Vision

Delivering on our national and economic security objectives 

demands major investments in the semiconductor workforce 

that will support good-paying jobs across the industry. 

America’s diversity is a comparative advantage; we must make 

significant investments to create opportunities for Americans 

from historically underserved communities.

Effective workforce solutions enable key stakeholders to work 

together.
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To achieve this vision, the Department

is prioritizing applications with workforce 

plans that...

Employ a whole of society approach—bringing together government, employers, 

training providers, workforce and economic development organizations, communitybased groups, education and training institutions, labor unions and more

Work with partners to build a skilled, diverse workforce that can construct and 

then operate facilities

Develop plans that best meet the needs of their workforce, their region, and 

their project
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Guiding Priorities

Highly Effective Workforce 

Investments

• Employer-led

• Guided by community

partners

• Employ wraparound services

• Increase educational and

workplace diversity, equity,

and inclusion

• Prioritize proven earn-andlearn models like Registered

Apprenticeships

• Lead to industry-recognized

credentials

• Measure and evaluate

outcomes

Biden Administration’s 

Good Jobs Principles

• Recruitment and hiring

• Benefits

• Diversity, equity, inclusion,

and accessibility

• Empowerment and

representation

• Job security and working

conditions

• Organizational culture

• Pay

• Skills and career

advancement

Women in Construction

• Million Women in

Construction initiative

• Applicants will be asked to

take action to make outreach

to and retain women in

construction jobs
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This guide will help applicants think through the best models 

that work for them and submit strong workforce plans

1. CHIPS 

Workforce Values

2. Partnerships

3. Facility 

Workforce Plan

4. Construction 

Workforce Plan

5. Child Care Plan

6. Guidance on 

Submitting 

Successful Plans

Appendix & Resources
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Partnerships
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Strong Partnerships Critical to Project Success

Effective workforce investments 

rely on successful strategic 

partnerships, and partnerships will 

be critical to achieve CHIPS 

program goals. 

Partners can help applicants:

Attract new sources 

of talent

Increase awareness 

of opportunities

Retain and grow the 

workforce

Provide wraparound 

supports

Applicants must secure commitments from strategic partners and are expected to engage 

with these partners on an ongoing basis.
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How to Build Strong Partnerships

• Consider:

• Business and industry leaders

• Educational institutions (e.g., K-12, higher

education, minority-serving institutions,

etc.)

• Workforce boards

• Labor unions

• Affordable housing providers

• Economic development organizations

• Community-based organizations

• And more

2. Create clear goals and outcomes across

partners

3. Identify specific roles for partner

organizations

4. Develop ongoing communication and

assessment

The strongest applicants will, whenever possible, engage in sectoral partnerships

1. Bring the right organizations to the table
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How to Demonstrate Strength of Partnerships

MOUs or contracts

Letters of commitment

Track record of past collaboration

Community benefits agreements
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Facility Workforce Plan
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Facility Workforce Plan Provisions in the NOFO

1. Workforce plans should be developed with partners

2. Facility workforce plans should have 5 components:

1. Workforce Needs Assessment

2. Worker Recruitment and Retention

3. Good Jobs Principles Approach

4. Workforce Training and Wraparound Services

5. Metrics and Milestones

3. Commitment to supporting long-term, cross-cutting initiatives
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Workforce Needs 

Assessment

Worker 

Recruitment & 

Retention

What are the project needs? 

What is the regional labor market 

picture?

Where are there gaps or risks?

Increase awareness of good jobs 

available in the industry

Increase access to jobs for economically 

disadvantaged individuals

Adopt effective hiring practices

Create and maintain Good Jobs
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How will plan meet the 8 

core principles?

• Recruitment and hiring

• Benefits

• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and

accessibility

• Empowerment and

representation

• Job security and working

conditions

• Organizational culture

• Pay

• Skills and career advancement

Commitment to training and hiring

Scale successful programs and 

create new programs

• Registered Apprenticeships

• Pre-apprenticeships

• Other work-and-learn models

• Partnering

Skill, re-skill, and up-skill

Wraparound services and flexible 

training models

Good Jobs 

Principles Approach

Workforce 

Training and 

Wraparound Services
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Workforce development 

goals should be:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Time-Bound

Metrics and 

Milestones

Must list major workforce 

development planning milestones 

List major milestones and 

timelines

Describe current and planned data 

collections

More guidance on metrics at time 

of award
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Construction Workforce Plan
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Construction Workforce Provisions in the NOFO

• 5 components, similar to Facility Workforce Plan:

1) Workforce Needs Assessment

2) Worker Recruitment and Retention

3) Good Jobs Principles Approach

4) Workforce Training and Wraparound Services

5) Metrics and Milestones

• Applicant can develop such plan in collaboration with their construction

partners
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• Benefits of PLAs include:

• Efficient and timely delivery

• Provide structure and stability needed to reduce

uncertainties

• Help secure the skilled and trained workforce

required to complete on schedule

• Increase job access and inclusion

• Alternative: Workforce continuity plans

Project Labor 

Agreements (PLAs) are 

strongly encouraged
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Key Considerations

Compliance with 

Federal Labor and 

Employment Law 

• Develop plan

for compliance,

• Include proper

classification of

workers, health

and safety, and

nondiscrimination

Wraparound 

Services

• Strongly

encouraged to

provide

wraparound

services for

construction

workers to

support

completion of

training

Women in 

Construction

• Million Women in

Construction

initiative

• Applicants will be

asked to take

action to make

outreach to and

retain women in

construction jobs

Registered 

Apprenticeships

• Plan should

discuss whether

registered

apprenticeships

are being used
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Child Care Plan
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Child Care Provisions in the NOFO

• CHIPS applicants applying for over $150

million in funding are required to provide a

plan for access to child care

• Access for both for facility and

construction workers

• CHIPS applicants that do not meet $150

million threshold strongly encouraged to

provide access to child care

Four Priorities for Child Care

Affordable Accessible

Reliable High-Quality

There is no one-size-fits-all solution; applicants are expected to devise solutions that are 

responsive to the specific needs of their workers and communities

Notice of Funding Opportunity
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• Additional detail on four priorities

• Models of employer-provided child care,

including case studies

• Special considerations for construction

workers, with potential interventions and

additional case studies

• List of resources, potential partners, and state

and local programs that applicants can use to

scale

The Workforce Guide 

helps applicants 

prepare strong child 

care plans
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Affordable

• Defraying the price of care such that it is within reach for low- and medium-income households

• No fixed percent threshold

• Location matters, including distance from home or work

• Extended hours care

• Avoid long waitlists for employees

• Reliable schedules so that care can be arranged in advance

• Access to back-up care or emergency coverage

• Alternative arrangements for support in a crisis

• Well-compensated and appropriately resourced staff

• Provider and staff education and training, health and safety records, appropriate group sizes/ratios

• Variety of settings (child care centers and family child care homes, which may be license exempt)

• Consult licensing regulations, care quality rating systems, Head Start quality standards, or other tools

Accessible

High-Quality

Reliable

Four Core Child Care Principles
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 1

National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 1

Models of Care

Onsite / Near site Offsite

Company-run Outsourced Subsidies / vouchers / 

cash assistance

Provider 

Sponsorship

Company provides space 

(onsite or nearby) and/or 

shuttle service to site; 

vendor fully manages care, 

ops & business

Company provides space 

and owns P&L (responsible 

for mgmt. & staffing fees)

Company pays to enable 

increased capacity or 

operating hours at existing 

center(s) or reserves slots 

for shift workers

Company provides 

discounts, cash, or vouchers 

to help meet costs of 

childcare

Description:
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Considerations for Construction Workers

Provide 

demand 

guarantees

• Commit financial support to providers that agree to increase their

capacity to meet key needs

• Prearrange care to help de-risk extended hours care or encourage

expansion of capacity in a market that otherwise would not be

economically viable

Partner for 

facility and 

construction 

workers

• Consider child care programs that support both construction and facility

workers, rather than addressing them separately

• For example, for facilities that plan to offer on-site care, employers may

consider whether there is an opportunity to build a child care facility first

Leverage a 

range of care 

providers (e.g., 

home-based)

• Providers such as family care centers often have more flexible hours

and convenient locations

• Work with intermediaries who can connect workers to communitybased sources of care

• Care That Works

• Tradesfutures

• Moore Community

House

• Oregon Trades

Programs

Case Studies
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• Survey workforce and community to determine local needs.

• Local context is pivotal

• Applicants benefit from a community perspective on what initiatives and partners might be

eager to support expanded access to child care

• Consult Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies to understand the existing child

care supply and gaps in the community

• Partner with state and local governments and take advantage of other federal

resources available for employer-provided child care

• Tax credits

• Real estate / site selection

• Other financing

• Partnerships and assistance with licensing

Partners, Resources, and How to Get Started 
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Application Submission
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Final Submission Requirements 

Facility Workforce 

Plan

1. Workforce Needs

Assessment

2. Worker Recruitment

and Retention

3. Good Jobs Principles

Approach

4. Workforce Training

and Wraparound

Services

5. Metrics and

Milestones

Construction 

Workforce Plan

1. Workforce Needs

Assessment

2. Worker Recruitment

and Retention

3. Good Jobs Principles

Approach

4. Workforce Training

and Wraparound

Services

5. Metrics and

Milestones

Child Care Plan

• Required for

applicants requesting

over $150 million in

CHIPS direct funding

• Strongly encouraged

for all applicants

Other Requirements

• Detailed and specific

letters of commitment

encouraged from all

partners and required

from education and

training providers

• Identification of

financial resources

• Commitments to

supporting initiatives

that will strengthen

U.S. semiconductor

workforce

• Pre-application strongly encouraged for non-leading edge applicants

• Final workforce plan should not exceed 30 pages
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Appendix and Resources
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Appendix Key Resources

• Job Quality Toolkit - key actions to implement the Good Jobs Principles

• Examples of industry specific education and workforce development programs and

resources

• Case studies on child care for construction workers

• General resources on federal labor and employment laws and navigating the

workforce development landscape
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Next Steps

• Review Workforce Guide in detail

• Visit CHIPS.gov for resources, including:

• Applicant guides and templates

• FAQs and fact sheets

• Register for future webinars

• Pre-application overview and financials

• Sectoral partnerships

• More coming soon!

• Join our mailing list

• Contact us

• askchips@chips.gov – general inquiries

• apply@chips.gov – application-related inquiries
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Question and Answers
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Thank you