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

Aligning Federal Resources for 

Semiconductor Workforce Development: 

A Conversation with the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education

February 14, 2024
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 2

Today’s Speakers

Brittany Stich

Director for Investing in 

America’s Workforce, 

Employment and 

Training Administration, 

U.S. Department of 

Labor

Robert Kight

Director of Adult Services 

and Governance, Office 

of Workforce Investment, 

Employment and 

Training Administration, 

U.S. Department of 

Labor

Luke Rhine

Deputy Assistant 

Secretary, Office of 

Career, Technical, and 

Adult Education, U.S. 

Department of Education

Catherine McConnell

Policy Advisor, Office of 

Career, Technical, and 

Adult Education, U.S. 

Department of Education

Rachel Lipson

Senior Policy Advisor, 

CHIPS for America

Marina Zhavoronkova

Senior Advisor, 

Workforce Strategy, 

CHIPS for America
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 3

Agenda for today

• CHIPS for America Overview

• Leveraging the Public Workforce System

(US DOL Employment and Training Administration)

• Leveraging Career, Technical, and Adult Education

(US ED Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education)

• Q&A: Aligning semiconductor workforce needs

• Engaging in state planning

• Recent federal guidance

• Innovative examples

• Connecting to local systems

• Closing: CHIPS workforce updates and follow up resources
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 4

CHIPS for America Vision

Economic 

Security

The CHIPSAct will 

strengthen supply chain 

security and increase 

economic resilience in

critical sectors.

National 

Security

The CHIPSAct will ensure 

that the U.S. can manufacture

advanced technologies,

including secure chips for the

U.S. military.

Future 

Innovation

The CHIPSAct will spur 

innovation, increase 

competitiveness, and 

ensure long-term U.S. 

leadership in the sector.
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 5

CHIPS 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.
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 6

CHIPS Workforce Call to Action

Over the next decade...

Double the U.S. semiconductor workforce overall.

Triple the number of graduates in semiconductor-related fields, including engineering.

Train 100,000 new technicians through apprenticeships, career and technical education, and 

career pathway programs. 

Expand recruitment for more people from underserved communities – including women and 

veterans – to launch semiconductor industry careers.

Hire and train an additional million women in construction to meet the demand across a 

range of industries, including CHIPS projects.
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 7

U.S. Department of Labor
Aligning Federal Resources 

for Semiconductor 

Workforce Development

LEVERAGING THE PUBLIC WORKFORCE SYSTEM

8
The Public Workforce System Purpose

The public workforce system is designed to:

•help job seekers access employment, education, training, 

and support services to succeed in the labor market and 

•to match businesses with the skilled workers they need to 

compete in the global economy. 

9
Opportunities to partner

Leveraging the 

public workforce 

system 

ecosystem

Engaging on 

state planning

Utilizing 

WIOA partner

programs

Developing or 

expanding 

registered 

apprenticeship

10
Public Workforce System: Opportunities to Plug In

American Job Centers/Other Service Providers

AJCs serve job seekers and employers directly. Local Boards contract for some services, such as youth programming, that may be 

delivered outside the AJC.

Local Workforce Development Boards

Provides strategic direction to their areas and sets training priorities

State Agency / State Workforce Development Board

Develops a strategic vision for the state, provides leadership to the workforce development boards and informs local strategies.

U.S. Department of Labor

Oversees the public workforce system

11
National 

reach, local 

connection

https://www.careerones

top.org/
WIOA: 

Coordinated 

Local 

Strategies

Addressing 

Workforce 

Challenges

Local Workforce 

Education Board

Industry Labor

Local 

Leaders

American Job 

Centers

CBOs

Partner 

Organizations

Local 

Leaders

13
State Planning: Strategic Partnership

Due date: March 4th- but opportunity for ongoing updates and editing. This is a living 

document!

WIOA requires that States submit a Unified or Combined Plan for the four-year 

period covering PYs 2024-2027.

• Connects the folks responsible for coordinated state strategies

• Includes partners from Department of Education for Unified and TANF/SNAP/HUD for 

combined

The WIOA State Plan is both a strategic document.

• Ensures that statutory and regulatory requirements are met

• Serves as a roadmap that reflects strategic and operational planning to implement the State’s 

workforce development system to deliver services to employers and jobseekers

• Opportunity to link Infrastructure investment 

14
WIOA: Partner 

programs

• Youthbuild

• Community-based pre-apprenticeship program that 

provides job training and education services for youth 16-

24 who left high school without a diploma

• Focus on construction, as well as other high demand 

industries

• Participants complete on the job training and classroom

• Job Corps

• Largest, free residential career training and education 

program for low-income adults aged 16-24

• On-site program- 120+ campuses nation-wide

• 10 industries, including advanced manufacturing and 

construction

15
Registered 

Apprenticeship

Registered Apprenticeship • Industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where 

employers can develop and prepare their future 

workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work 

experience, classroom instruction, and a nationallyrecognized, portable credential.

• Advanced manufacturing and construction opportunity

Spotlight

Advanced Manufacturing Intermediaries work to:

• Increase awareness through industry outreach

• Connect employers and labor organizations with workforce and 

education partners

• Provide technical assistance to launch and expand Registered 

Apprenticeship

• Help apprenticeship sponsors refine recruiting, hiring, and retention 

strategies to increase Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility 

(DEIA)

*Find a list of industry intermediaries, home pages, and contact info here

16
We're excited to partner

MEET YOUR INDUSTRY'S

WORKFORCE NEEDS

LEVERAGE RESOURCES SAVE TIME WE ARE WHERE YOU 

ARE

17
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 18

U.S. Department of Education
Career, Technical, and Adult 

Education in the U.S.

Webinar: Aligning Federal Resources for Semiconductor Workforce Development

February 14, 2024

Luke Rhine and Catherine McConnell

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education
K-12 Education in the U. S.

• Just over 130,000 public schools and roughly 30,000 private schools 

• Nearly 50 million students

• Just over 16.9 million are in high school (grades 9-12)

• Each state establishes its own standards, curriculum, assessments, and graduation 

requirements

• 87 percent of students graduate on time (within 4 years)

• Roughly 64 percent of students enroll in some form of postsecondary education 

immediately after graduation 

• Roughly 34 percent of student enter the workforce immediately after high school 

immediately after graduation

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education 20
Postsecondary Education in the U. S.

• Just over 3,900 degree-granting institutions

• 2,300 are 4-year institutions offering programs at the bachelor’s or higher degree level and 

• 1,300 are 2-year institutions offering associate’s degrees and other certificates. 

• Another 1,900 non-degree-granting institutions offering academic courses to transfer or short-term credentials

• Roughly 19.6 million students are enrolled in postsecondary education 

• Similar to K-12 institutions, postsecondary institution have freedom to develop their programs and courses.

• Institutions and/or programs are accredited through a peer review process

• 30 percent of students earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years; 20 percent earn a 

an associates degree within 6 years.

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education 21
Adult Education in the U. S.

• Approximately 48 million U.S. adults that have low English literacy skills and 69 million 

adults that have low numeracy skills in English.

• Delivered through a network of local education agencies, including community-based 

and faith-based organizations, libraries, community colleges, and correctional 

institutions.

• Programs are designed to help adults get the basic skills they need including reading, 

writing, math, English language acquisition, and problem-solving to be productive 

workers, family members, and citizens. 

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education 22
Career and Technical Education (CTE) in the U. S.

• Delivered through a vast network of local educational agencies (including middle 

schools, high schools, and area CTE centers) and institutions of higher education 

(mostly community colleges)

• Funding for CTE is provided through: 

• States and local communities - roughly 90 percent 

• Federal appropriation through the Carl D. Perkins Act - roughly 10 percent 

• As of FY 2023, there were roughly 8.1 million secondary and 3.4 million 

postsecondary students participated in CTE classes.

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education 23
Perkins V 

U.S. federal legislation supporting CTE

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education 24
How Perkins Funds Flow To States

Congress

US 

Department 

of Education

Eligible 

Agency (state 

board for 

CTE)

State 

Administrative 

Agency

• Writes the legislation

• Passes the law

• Sets the formula

• Appropriates the funds

• Allocates funds to 

each state based on 

formula set by 

Congress

• Sets overall policy 

direction

• Develops 4-year 

state plan

• Administers the 

state plan
Secondary vs. Postsecondary

Perkins V: Each state determines how to divide the Perkins funds between 

secondary and postsecondary. On average across the US, 62% of Perkins funds got 

to secondary schools and 38% go to postsecondary schools.

• Secondary: Secondary education teaches students ages 11 to 18. In the U.S., 

this is often separated into lower secondary education (ages 11 to 14), known as 

"middle school“, and upper secondary education (ages 14 to 18) known as "high 

school."

• Postsecondary School: Postsecondary education, also known as tertiary 

education, follows high school. 

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education 26
Utilizing FY24 State plans 

1-Year Transition 

Plan

(July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020)

4-Year State Plan

(July 1, 2020-June 30, 2024)

New 4-Year State 

Plan

(July 1, 2024-June 30, 2028)

Annual Revisions to 

SDPLs and Any 

Other Revisions

(July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025)

Plan/ Updates due May 10th

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education 27
Procedures for State Plan Submissions 

Under Perkins V and EDGAR

State Plan Options

Broad 

Stakeholder 

Consultation

Public 

Hearings

Public 

Comment 

Period

Option for 

Governor’s 

Signature

New 4-Year State Plan -OR-

   

Annual SDPL Revisions -AND 

OPTION FOR-    

Any Other Annual Revisions: 

Non-Substantive 

-AND/OR-    

Any Other Annual Revisions: 

Significant & Relevant    

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education 28
Areas within Perkins to think about Advanced 

Manufacturing/ Semiconductor

Multiple ways to leverage Perkins funding and CTE ecosystem to 

support the Advanced Manufacturing sector:

Within a Perkins State Plan:

• State’s vision and goal section

• High Skill, High Wage, In-Demand 

• Involvement with designing programs of study 

• Work based learning

Connecting to CTE Ecosystem:

• Work-based learning opportunities

• Working directly with state agencies, community colleges and 

school districts to create programming and pathways

Office of Career, Technical, & Adult Education 29
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 30

FAQs
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 31

Frequently Asked Questions

If I am an economic development official in a region 

with semiconductor industry presence, what is the 

best way for me to engage with Perkins or WIOA 

programs and support my state or locality's planning 

process? 
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 32

Frequently Asked Questions

Does recent guidance issued by your Department give 

any preference to programs or investments that support 

critical Investing in America fields like semiconductors?
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 33

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some innovative or interesting ways you have 

seen states or localities leverage your agency’s 

resources to support career advancement opportunities 

in semiconductors and/or advanced manufacturing? 
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 34

Frequently Asked Questions

If a company in my region receives funding for workforce 

development through CHIPS, how should I advise them 

to connect to their local workforce and CTE ecosystem 

to support long-term sustainability?
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 35

CHIPS Workforce Update and Next Steps
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 36

Key CHIPS for America Workforce Updates

Since the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act...

At least nine states have dedicated new funding to 

support workforce training for semiconductor jobs.

Over 50 community colleges across 19 states have 

announced new or expanded programming to support 

semiconductor opportunities.

Semiconductor companies partnering with labor unions to 

recruit, train and retain a skilled construction workforce,

including several that committed to Project Labor 

Agreements.

Commerce announced most CHIPS incentives awards for 

construction, modernization or expansion of 

manufacturing facilities will include dedicated funds for 

workforce development. 

NSTC Vision and Strategy Paper named workforce 

development as one of NSTC’s Top Three priorities

NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence Roles

Convene industry, research, education, government and 

labor stakeholders

Use data to measure the success of existing programs 

and guide future investment

Scale up proven programs

Pilot new efforts, including initiatives to engage 

underserved communities

Activities will engage the Department of Labor, Department of 

Education, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, 

Department of Energy, among other federal agencies
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 37

Additional CHIPS Resources

• Visit CHIPS.gov for resources, including:

• Workforce Progress Report

• Workforce Development Guide

• National Semiconductor Technology Center Vision & Strategy

• Past webinars recordings and slides

• Join CHIPS mailing list

• Join Teaming Partner list

• Complete Natcast Community of Interest survey

• Contact CHIPS 

• askchips@chips.gov – general inquiries

• apply@chips.gov – application-related inquiries
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 38

Recap: Key ED Resources

• Perkins State Plan Guidance

• Perkins Collaborative Resource Network

• Contacts:

• Luke.Rhine@ed.gov

• Catherine.McConnell@ed.gov
National Institute of Standards and Technology | U.S. Department of Commerce 39

Recap: Key DOL Resources

RESOURCE HUBS

• Tools for Building and Equitable Infrastructure Workforce: Report link

• Apprenticeship Homepage: apprenticeship.gov

• Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship page: Advanced Manufacturing | 

Apprenticeship.gov

• DOL Good Jobs Initiative: DOL Good Jobs Homepage

• Advanced Manufacturing Sector Competency Framework: Clearinghouse Homepage

• Career Exploration Home Page: Homepage

• Find your state and local workforce development board contact info: Workforce Board 

Finder

• Leveraging the 2024 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Planning Period to 

Capitalize on Investment Passed in the 117th Congress: Opportunities for Governors 

and State Workforce Development Boards: National Governors Association and US 

DOL Partnership

PROGRAMS / GRANTS

• General DOL Grants Hub: Hub Homepage

• Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO): Grant Page

• Building Pathways to Infrastructure Job Grants: H-1B Skills Training Grants | U.S. 

Department of Labor (dol.gov)

• Job Corps: Program Homepage

• DOL YouthBuild: Program Homepage

TECHNICAL GUIDANCE

• Building Pathways to Infrastructure Careers: 

Framework for Preparing an Infrastructure Workforce:

Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 08-22

• Increasing Equitable Service Access and Employment 

Outcomes for All Jobseekers in Workforce Innovation 

and Opportunity Act Adult and Dislocated Worker 

Programs: Training and Employment Guidance Letter 

21-22

Contacts

• Brittany Stich - stich.brittany.a@dol.gov

• Robert Kight - kight.robert@dol.gov