$7.5M Granted to Austin Community College to Expand Semiconductor Technician Training Programs

Texas was already the leading state in the nation for semiconductor chip manufacturing when, in 2022, the federal government passed the CHIPS Act and focused attention on bolstering this key industry. Texas’ government followed suit with its own CHIPS Act, spurring an influx of resources and job opportunities across the state. A new grant from the Department of Defense puts $7.5 million more into nascent semiconductor technician training programs at Austin Community College (ACC), readying the workforce to fill the high-tech jobs that will be created in coming years as new plants open.

Strengthening National Security

Semiconductors are the tiny computer “chips” that do the thinking for technologically complex machines. They’re essential to manufacturing modern cars, phones, televisions, and more, but the U.S. has been falling behind Asian economies in chip production for years. The problem came to a head during the COVID-19 pandemic, when semiconductor supply chain issues caused shortages of many consumer goods.

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