Intel Launches Apprenticeship Program for Manufacturing Technicians in AZ

<p><strong>SANTA CLARA<&sol;strong> &&num;8212&semi; Intel is launching its first U&period;S&period; registered apprenticeship program for manufacturing facility technicians in Arizona in collaboration with the Arizona Commerce Authority &lpar;ACA&rpar;&comma; the Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board&comma; the SEMI Foundation&comma; Maricopa Community Colleges District &lpar;MCCD&rpar; and Fresh Start Women’s Foundation&period; The company plans to train facility technician apprentices over the next five years&period; Selected apprentices will be full-time Intel employees on day one and will earn a certificate and college credit upon successful completion of the one-year program&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p class&equals;"bwmarginl1"><i>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Facility technicians are responsible for the setup&comma; maintenance and performance of the complex machinery used to build semiconductors&period; There is a very small pool of trained applicants with this specific skill set&period; Intel’s new apprenticeship program addresses this challenge by providing hands-on training in our fabs&comma; expanding the semiconductor talent pipeline to help meet the workforce demand of the future&period;”<br &sol;>&NewLine;<&sol;i>–Christy Pambianchi&comma; Intel chief people officer<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Traditional recruiting methods alone are not enough to meet the growing demand for skilled semiconductor technicians&period; According to SIA&comma; the semiconductor industry is expected to add nearly 115&comma;000 jobs by 2030&comma; and roughly 58&percnt; of these new jobs risk going unfilled&period; Of these unfilled jobs&comma; 39&percnt; are projected to involve technician roles&comma; most of which require certificates or two-year degrees&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Apprenticeships offer a practical and effective way to train individuals for these roles&comma; benefiting both individuals and organizations&period; Apprentices gain valuable skills&comma; experience and industry-specific knowledge&comma; leading to improved career opportunities and contributing to a more skilled and competitive workforce&period; Apprenticeships are a way to attract diverse talent with greater-than-average retention&comma; with 90&percnt; of apprentices staying with their employer after program completion&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The one-year program will involve a mix of classroom instruction and on-the-job training&period; Participants will be hired as Intel employees as they learn the core competencies needed for facility technician roles&comma; including hand-tool basics with mechanical&comma; pneumatic&comma; hydraulic and vacuum systems&semi; electrical basics and electronics&semi; handling of chemicals and gases&semi; and communications skills&comma; problem solving and critical thinking&period; Intel’s apprenticeship program provides more technical skills than other opportunities within the industry&comma; focusing on hands-on skills in gas and chemical facility training&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;