Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

RIT will use anticipated funding to implement the Broadening Research and Inter-Disciplinary Graduate Education (BRIDGE) for Microelectronics program, with the goal to train 555 students at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels, and through a new online certificate program, across microelectronics-related educational tracks. The program emphasizes education, industry collaboration, and student support to address workforce shortages in the microelectronics sector.  

NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance Program (WFPA)  

This anticipated award is through the NSTC WFPA. On September 25, 2024, Natcast announced more than $11 million in anticipated awards to 7 institutions supporting efforts to develop the semiconductor workforce ecosystem across more than a dozen U.S. states.

The anticipated awards support established programs with a track record of success seeking to scale; growing programs seeking to expand or realign; and new programs that meet a previously unaddressed need, opportunity, or theory of change.

These projects are projected to support more than 11,000 individuals entering or advancing careers in the semiconductor industry and will address critical U.S. job and skill gaps across semiconductor design, manufacturing, and production.

Visit natcast.org to Learn More About the 2024 WFPA Awardees.

About the National Semiconductor Technology Center

Natcast is a purpose-built, non-profit entity created to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), established by the CHIPS and Science Act of the U.S. government. The NSTC is a public-private consortium dedicated to semiconductor R&D in the United States. A key component of the CHIPS Act, the NSTC will convene the U.S. government, allied and partner nations, and organizations across the semiconductor ecosystem—including academia and businesses of all kinds—to address the most challenging barriers to continued technological progress in the domestic semiconductor industry, including the need for a capable workforce. The NSTC reflects a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the U.S. to drive the pace of innovation, set standards, and re-establish global leadership in semiconductor design and manufacturing.

Read the full press release here.