Hillsboro, Oregon's bid for a slice of the federal workforce development pie is officially in the oven. The semiconductor sector, a giant of the local and state economy, supports more than 38,000 jobs, and the city's power players are ready to capitalize on anticipated growth. They're not just playing the numbers game, though; it's about future-proofing the workforce for a world that’s increasingly run on chips smaller than a fingernail.
Reinforcing this ambition, the Oregon Employment Department projects the creation of 7,555 new jobs within the semiconductor field by 2031. Notably, average annual wages in advanced manufacturing outpace the state's overall average, which makes the sector's expansion a beacon of economic hope for many. According to a recent statement by the City of Hillsboro, the goal is to develop a workforce that is as adept with the intricacies of microchip technology as it is diverse.
The call to action was sounded by Natcast’s National Semiconductor Technology Center Workforce Partner Alliance (WFPA), which put the word out in July that they’re looking to bolster the U.S. semiconductor workforce with a nationwide fund. The City of Hillsboro, representing Oregon’s Silicon Forest, responded with a funding request aimed at launching high-impact workforce initiatives and is also backing a second community-supported proposal.
In collaboration with the Oregon Business Council, Intel Corporation, El Centro Cultural, Portland Community College, and more, Hillsboro's funding proposal pitches 'replicable, and agile' workforce programs. Expect technical training that spans the gamut from semiconductor manufacturing to chip packaging, matched with stackable credentials for climbing the career ladder. These kinds of collaborative efforts are the groundwork for curricula that directly translate into job placements, especially for a city that has already put educational pilots through their paces with the Advanced Manufacturing Training & Education Collaborative of Hillsboro (AM-TECH).
But the city’s vision extends beyond making semiconductor pros. The socio-economic fabric of the industry’s future workforce is on their agenda too. The proposed "Campeones in CHIPS" program, which sees Hillsboro partnering with UnidosUS alongside organizations in Arizona and New Mexico, aims to include those often left on the peripheries of tech: Latino workers, ESL individuals, women, and rural, low-income, or under-employed individuals. It's a strategic move to diversify the semiconductor workforce, as mentioned in a press announcement from the City of Hillsboro.
The winners of the NSTC Workforce funding will be unveiled sometime between late September and early October. And if Hillsboro's bid is successful, these initiatives could be the portal through which underrepresented communities step into the well-paying landscape of semiconductor jobs and by extension, hook into a more equitable share of future economic prosperity.
