Building the U.S. 

Semiconductor Workforce

Progress Report

CHIPS for America

November 3, 2023
for AMERICA

CHIPS.gov

CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for 

semiconductor incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, 

responsible for R&D programs. Both sit within the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. 

NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing 

measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance 

economic security and improve our quality of life. NIST is uniquely positioned 

to successfully administer the CHIPS for America program because of the 

bureau’s strong relationships with U.S. industries, its deep understanding of 

the semiconductor ecosystem, and its reputation as fair and trusted. 

 Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.
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PROGRESS REPORT

CHIPS for America: Building the U.S. Semiconductor Workforce

INVESTING IN

AMERICA’S WORKERS

When President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed the 

bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act in August 

2022, he committed the United States to 

regaining and accelerating U.S. leadership in 

the semiconductor industry. In response, the 

private sector announced hundreds of billions 

of dollars to develop domestic manufacturing 

and research capacity, bringing semiconductor 

industry commitments to more than $231 billion 

since the President took office. As a key part of 

President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, 

this unprecedented investment in one of the 

world’s most critical technologies will advance 

our economic and national security and create 

new opportunities for communities across the 

country. This historic combination of federal, 

private, and local investment will also, consistent 

with President Biden’s vision, create for workers 

and families good-paying, high-quality jobs, 

including union jobs and jobs that don’t require 

a four-year degree, with hundreds of thousands 

of new opportunities for American technicians, 

manufacturers, construction workers, scientists, 

engineers, and entrepreneurs.

To achieve the CHIPS and Science Act’s 

objectives to increase domestic semiconductor 

manufacturing capacity and advance U.S. 

leadership in semiconductor research and 

development (R&D), we must empower 

American workers. Recognizing this, Congress 

and the Biden-Harris Administration have 

prioritized making sure America is ready 

to meet the challenge. Congress directed 

multiple agencies to invest in American 

workers, required CHIPS incentives recipients 

to develop workforce strategies with partners, 

and charged the Department of Commerce 

and others to integrate workforce development 

into new R&D efforts. In addition, the BidenHarris Administration is partnering with local 

stakeholders across the country to harness the 

full potential of Investing in America, including 

through the creation of Workforce Hubs, an 

Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Sprint, 

and other administration-wide programs. 

These activities will make the United States 

more competitive, enhance our technological 

leadership, create good-paying jobs, and protect 

national security.
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PROGRESS REPORT

CHIPS for America: Building the U.S. Semiconductor Workforce

GROWING THE

U.S. WORKFORCE

The Department of Commerce has made 

growing and sustaining the semiconductor 

workforce a priority for both the $39 billion 

CHIPS incentives program to jumpstart domestic 

semiconductor manufacturing and the $11 

billion CHIPS R&D program. Building on the 

Department’s stakeholder engagement and 

research, Department of Commerce Secretary 

Gina Raimondo announced an ambitious wholeof-society call to action to build the world’s most 

competitive, skilled, and diverse workforce over 

the next decade. In a keynote speech about the 

Administration’s long-term vision for CHIPS for 

America, she called on: 

• The United States to double the 

semiconductor workforce overall

• U.S. colleges and universities, including 

minority-serving institutions, to triple the 

number of graduates in semiconductorrelated fields, including engineering

• Semiconductor companies to work with 

high schools, community colleges, and 

unions to train 100,000 new technicians

through apprenticeships, career and 

technical education, and career pathway 

programs

• Colleges, universities, and training programs 

to expand recruitment and enable more 

people from underserved communities – 

including women and veterans – to launch 

semiconductor industry careers

• Construction companies, unions, 

semiconductor manufacturers, and 

government to work together to hire 

and train an additional million women in 

construction to meet the demand across a 

range of industries, including CHIPS projects

Accomplishing these goals will require close 

collaboration across government, industry, 

education, labor unions, and community 

organizations. CHIPS for America will leverage 

the manufacturing incentives’ requirements 

to develop workforce strategies; incorporate 

workforce initiatives across its R&D efforts; and 

collaborate with federal, state, and local partners 

to develop and expand training initiatives. CHIPS 

for America will also continue its engagements 

with agencies such as the National Science 

Foundation, which is responsible for the 

$200 million CHIPS for America Workforce 

Fund, to support talent creation across the 

semiconductor industry. Consistent with the 

Department’s workforce development best 

practices and principles, these initiatives will 

serve workers, scale up proven practices, 

broaden participation, and be employer-driven, 

community-guided, measurable, and sustainable.

The Department’s combined manufacturing and 

research efforts across CHIPS for America will 

make strategic investments in education and 

training to help seed and grow the world-class 

labor force needed to advance chip research, 

design, manufacturing, packaging, innovation, 

and entrepreneurship.

THE ROLE OF CHIPS 

FOR AMERICA

Since Secretary Raimondo announced workforce 

calls to action in February, CHIPS for America 

has worked with the semiconductor community, 

education providers, labor unions, and other 

community partners to develop a strong vision 

for workforce development. Key strategies to 

date include:

• Catalyzing Employer Investments in 

Workforce: The manufacturing incentives 

program is crowding in private capital 
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PROGRESS REPORT

CHIPS for America: Building the U.S. Semiconductor Workforce

for talent development by encouraging 

semiconductor employers to commit 

resources to workforce development. 

To supplement company resources, the 

Department expects most incentives 

awards will also include dedicated funds for 

workforce development. Based on public 

commitments and industry benchmarks, 

CHIPS for America anticipates total public 

and private investments in workforce 

for CHIPS-funded facilities will exceed 

$500 million. Following awards, CHIPS 

for America will work with recipients and 

regional education and training partners to 

support the implementation of workforce 

investments, including Registered 

Apprenticeships, and hold companies 

accountable to workforce development 

targets. In March 2023, CHIPS for America 

released a detailed Workforce Development 

Planning Guide to support workforce 

strategies consistent with the Biden-Harris 

Administration’s Good Jobs Principles.

• Encouraging High-Quality Jobs: Good jobs 

are at the center of the CHIPS for America 

vision for a vibrant domestic semiconductor 

industry. CHIPS for America programs 

include intentional strategies to ensure 

federal investments support good-paying 

jobs and that workers can form and join 

unions and bargain collectively. For the 

CHIPS incentives program, the quality of 

the workforce development plan is one 

of six evaluation criteria informing the 

Department’s holistic evaluation process. 

Applicants need to explain how they have 

engaged a broad range of workforce 

partners and how their projects will create 

quality employment opportunities that 

attract workers in a tight labor market. 

Following awards, the Department expects 

strong stakeholder engagement throughout 

the program lifecycle to help ensure 

workers’ voices are represented in the 

workplace.

• Promoting State and Local Participation: 

CHIPS for America has encouraged state 

and local governments to provide workforce 

investments as part of an application for 

CHIPS incentives funding. For example, the 

CHIPS funding opportunity for commercial 

fabrication facilities explicitly prioritizes 

state and local incentive packages 

that benefit a regional semiconductor 

ecosystem, including incentives for 

workforce and education. Funding 

opportunities for smaller suppliers further 

support state and local participation 

through consortia models. Suppliers 

are encouraged to develop workforce 

strategies in partnership with state and 

local government entities, educational 

institutions, unions, and other partners, and 

to apply together for incentives to support 

their regional cluster. Since the passage 

of the CHIPS and Science Act, at least 

seven states have dedicated new funding 

to support workforce training for the 

semiconductor job growth supported by the 

legislation.

• Engaging Community Organizations, Labor 

Unions, Industry, and Academia: CHIPS 

for America is committed to fostering 

partnerships among government, industry, 

labor unions, community organizations 

and other intermediaries, and educational 

institutions — including community colleges, 

high schools, and local workforce training 

organizations. To facilitate collaboration, 

the Department has hosted public webinars 

focused on workforce development and 

sectoral partnerships, engaged directly 

with education and training partners in over 
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PROGRESS REPORT

CHIPS for America: Building the U.S. Semiconductor Workforce

25 states — including hosting in-person 

workforce roundtables and listening tour 

sessions — and launched a Teaming Partner 

List to help community stakeholders forge 

partnerships. The Department also tasked 

the Congressionally mandated Industrial 

Advisory Committee (IAC), which includes 

academic representatives, to recommend 

actions to meet the nation’s workforce 

needs. Since President Biden signed the 

CHIPS and Science Act into law, more 

than 50 community colleges across 19 

states have announced new or expanded 

programming to support semiconductor 

industry opportunities.

• Leveraging Research and Development 

Investments for Workforce Needs: The 

CHIPS and Science Act funded four 

related R&D efforts at the Department of 

Commerce: the National Semiconductor 

Technology Center (NSTC), National 

Advanced Packaging Manufacturing 

Program (NAPMP), up to three 

Manufacturing USA Institutes, and the 

CHIPS R&D Metrology Program. These 

programs will be essential to securing 

and extending America’s innovation and 

technological leadership in the 21st century. 

CHIPS for America is integrating education 

and workforce development investment into 

each of these efforts, with a major focus on 

the NSTC, which is envisioned as a newlyformed, neutral public-private consortium. 

In April 2023, the Vision and Strategy for 

the National Semiconductor Technology 

Center named workforce development as 

one of the NSTC’s three primary objectives, 

calling on the consortium to scale up 

proven workforce development programs 

and to develop novel training approaches. 

These actions could engage new regions 

and partners in workforce development as 

well as build on efforts funded by CHIPS 

manufacturing incentives, propagating the 

most successful approaches nationwide.

• Expanding the Workforce Pipeline: 

CHIPS for America is working to attract 

and retain students and workers across 

America in the semiconductor industry, 

including women, veterans, people of color, 

individuals with disabilities, and people from 

rural communities. To increase awareness 

of opportunities, the Department has 

conducted targeted outreach to groups 

including national civil rights organizations, 

chambers of commerce and trade 

associations, minority lending institutions, 

and regional and national professional 

associations. CHIPS for America is also 

encouraging industry and community 

stakeholders to address some of the 

biggest barriers to workforce participation 

through supportive services — including 

transportation, housing, and child care. 

For instance, entities seeking $150 million 

or more in manufacturing incentives must 

provide a plan for access to affordable, 

quality, reliable, and accessible child care 

for both their facilities and construction 

workforce.

UPCOMING WORKFORCE 

INITIATIVES AND EFFORTS

Online job postings data show semiconductor 

jobs are already growing in the United States 

as a result of the passage of the CHIPS and 

Science Act. To support access to these new 

opportunities and to other jobs over the 

next decade, the Department will continue 

to implement education and workforce 

development strategies that reflect changing 

labor needs across the country. The Department 

continues to engage and collect feedback from 

the semiconductor community as it stands 
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PROGRESS REPORT

CHIPS for America: Building the U.S. Semiconductor Workforce

up additional workforce initiatives, including 

activities at the NSTC and partnerships with 

other state, local, and federal entities.

NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR 

TECHNOLOGY CENTER WORKFORCE 

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE PROPOSALS

As a flagship CHIPS for America initiative, 

the NSTC will provide a once-in-a-lifetime 

opportunity to build an anchor institution for the 

semiconductor industry, including to meet the 

needs of the current and future workforce. The 

Department has worked with the semiconductor 

community, consulted the IAC, and collected 

requests for information to develop specific 

workforce development activities for potential 

inclusion in the NSTC. One key proposal under 

development includes the creation of one or 

more workforce centers of excellence. These 

centers of excellence could:

1. Convene industry, research, education, 

government, and labor stakeholders, 

enabling employers to work directly with 

education and training providers;

2. Collect data to measure the success 

of existing programs and guide future 

investment;

3. Scale up proven programs; and

4. Pilot new efforts, including initiatives to 

engage underserved communities.

Efforts under consideration to be led by one or 

more workforce centers of excellence include:

• Aligning Semiconductor Education: A 

voluntary, employer-informed workforce 

framework would help align educational 

credentials and experiences, including 

apprenticeships, with employer knowledge 

and skill requirements. A new center of 

excellence could ensure that workforce 

credentials map to clear career pathways 

and both anticipate and address the impact 

of new technologies developed by the 

NSTC and NAPMP. The IAC recommended 

bringing together educational institutions, 

companies, trade associations, and other 

partners to develop an educational 

framework. 

• Increasing Awareness of Semiconductor 

Industry Opportunities: CHIPS for America 

workforce initiatives can inspire a new 

generation of Americans to realize the 

potential and excitement of semiconductorrelated fields. While student applications 

to full-time semiconductor industry 

jobs increased by 79% in the past year, 

stakeholder inputs to the Department 

indicate the continuing need to attract new 

students and workers. A national awareness 

campaign, led by a workforce center of 

excellence, could increase visibility of 

semiconductor industry careers and support 

the economic viability of new educational 

programs. The IAC recommended 

establishing an awareness campaign as well 

as a K-12 STEM advocacy effort.

• Accelerating Access to Educational 

Resources: In addition to funding the 

development and promulgation of 

educational curriculum, the NSTC could 

offer low-cost access to curated physical 

and digital educational infrastructure. A 

workforce center of excellence could offer 

a centralized digital repository of industry 

and worker resources such as educational 

materials, on-demand courses, information 

on training programs and micro-credentials, 

opportunities for experiential learning and 

employment, and work-based learning 

experiences. A center of excellence 

could also provide physical locations for 

training, provide equipment and faculty 

with industry experience, and develop 

new training methodologies that leverage 

technological advancements. The IAC 
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PROGRESS REPORT

CHIPS for America: Building the U.S. Semiconductor Workforce

similarly recommended incentivizing trade 

associations and professional associations 

to make training programs more accessible, 

with a particular focus on advanced 

packaging.

BUILDING EDUCATION AND TRAINING 

CAPACITY

In addition to the NSTC workforce proposals, the 

Department will prioritize initiatives that grow 

the manufacturing workforce needed for CHIPSfinanced projects, with a focus on developing 

productive, self-sustaining regional clusters. 

Concepts under development include:

• Increasing the Impact of Existing 

Programs: CHIPS for America will work 

closely with partners at the National Science 

Foundation and with other members of 

the Subcommittee for Microelectronics 

Leadership, such as the Departments of 

Defense, Energy, Education, and Labor, 

to increase access to training. Where 

consistent with the Department’s mission 

and review processes, CHIPS for America 

will seek opportunities to help scale up 

existing programs to meet growing needs. 

The manufacturing incentives program will 

embed rigorous workforce data collection 

into its award terms to inform future 

investment priorities at Commerce and 

other agencies.

• Increasing Educational Capacity and 

Student Opportunities: Tripling the number 

of graduates in semiconductor-related fields 

will require new faculty and teaching staff 

as well as new and upgraded educational 

infrastructure. The CHIPS R&D Office 

will explore opportunities to fund these 

resources at colleges, universities, and 

other regional educational and training 

institutions. By increasing the availability of 

faculty, facilities, and equipment, milestonebased funding could support training early 

career talent and reskilling incumbent 

workers in the semiconductor industry. 

The CHIPS R&D Office will also explore 

opportunities to fund student opportunities, 

including internships, fellowships, 

traineeships, and apprenticeships in priority 

research areas.

• Building and Growing Regional 

Intermediaries: CHIPS for America is 

prioritizing the development of strong 

regional workforce ecosystems that 

can meet the industry’s workforce skill 

needs and expand access to the goodpaying jobs that CHIPS investments will 

create. Empowering effective regional 

intermediaries that can coordinate across 

multiple community and educational 

partners is key to this strategy. CHIPS 

for America staff will work closely with 

incentives recipients to help ensure 

sufficient regional capacity is built out to 

support the ambitious needs for hiring 

expansion, especially for technicians. 

Manufacturing incentives opportunities also 

strongly encourage sectoral partnerships, 

which bring together multiple employers 

and partners in a region.

ADVANCING THE 

CONSTRUCTION 

WORKFORCE 

Achieving the objectives of the CHIPS and 

Science Act requires training and inspiring a 

skilled and diverse U.S. construction workforce 

to build, expand, and maintain semiconductor 

facilities. The Department recognizes the 

critical role of a skilled construction workforce 

in development of the U.S. semiconductor 

ecosystem. CHIPS-funded facilities are required 

to pay prevailing wage rates, thus supporting 

good-paying jobs. Semiconductor companies 
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PROGRESS REPORT

CHIPS for America: Building the U.S. Semiconductor Workforce

are partnering with labor unions to recruit, train 

and retain construction talent and ensure that 

job sites are safe for workers. The incentives 

program also strongly encourages the use of 

project labor agreements (PLAs) for CHIPSfunded construction projects to ensure that 

projects are completed with a steady supply 

of labor and without delays. Applicants 

that do not include a PLA must make clear 

commitments to ensure workforce continuity. 

Several semiconductor companies have already 

publicly committed to PLAs for construction of 

semiconductor facilities in the United States.

CHIPS for America is developing a construction 

workforce approach that leverages the 

manufacturing incentives program’s workforce 

provisions and encourages investments to 

recruit, retain, and train American workers 

in good-paying, safe construction jobs. As a 

result of CHIPS investments, the Department 

expects new commitments to Registered 

Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship 

programs that will train American workers in 

specialized semiconductor construction and 

maintenance operations.

THE ROADMAP FORWARD

Fulfilling the promise of the CHIPS for America 

investments requires a whole-of-nation effort to 

build the world’s best semiconductor workforce. 

The Department will continue to engage closely 

with stakeholders and partners including 

from academia and labor to build on existing 

momentum. Beginning in November 2023 and 

continuing through 2024, CHIPS for America 

will launch a new round of community forums 

to further refine its strategies and identify new 

opportunities for impact. As manufacturing 

incentives funds are awarded, the Department 

will actively support the implementation, 

monitoring, and evaluation of workforce 

initiatives to ensure learnings inform future 

workforce development efforts. In addition, the 

CHIPS for America Teaming Partner List will 

serve as a continued resource to support new 

industry-community coalitions forming across 

the country. Visit www.chips.gov to learn more 

about the CHIPS for America programs. Sign 

up for our email list to be alerted to upcoming 

events, webinars, and to stay up to date on 

programs and funding opportunties.
for AMERICA

CHIPS.gov

Certain commercial entities, equipment, or 

materials may be identified in this document in 

order to describe an experimental procedure or 

concept adequately. Such identification does 

not imply recommendation or endorsement 

by the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology, the U.S. Department of Commerce, 

or any part of the United States Government, 

nor is it intended to imply that the entities, 

materials, or equipment are necessarily the 

best available for the purpose.