US Colleges Expand Chip Training Amid Labor Shortage

Rio Salado College in Tempe is offering a free, 12-week semiconductor-manufacturing course to prepare students for entry-level jobs, including maintaining and servicing fabrication equipment. The hands-on program gives participants with varied backgrounds—including former business student Ethan Mock, laid-off workers and people without degrees—a faster route into the industry, with opportunities to interview with major Arizona chipmakers. The effort comes as U.S. companies expand domestic production following the 2022 CHIPS Act, and industry experts warn the sector could be short as many as 157,000 workers by 2030.