An apprenticeship program formed last year in the Lehigh Valley to promote careers in advanced manufacturing was spotlighted recently by a leading trade publication as a solution to meet the demand for semiconductor workers.
The Industrial Training and Education Consortium of the Lehigh Valley (iTEC) is a partnership of industry, education, government, and community organizations. Employers and their partners are collaborating through iTEC to build a deeper pool of talent to bolster their workforce. 
The effort was highlighted in an article by Semiconductor Engineering on Feb. 12.
The article, “Chip Ecosystem Apprenticeships Help Close The Talent Gap,” explained iTEC’s registered apprenticeship programs for mechatronics and industrial manufacturing technicians, and the program’s plans to soon add apprenticeships for chemical technicians.
Karianne Gelinas, Vice President of Regional Partnerships and Talent Strategies at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC), was interviewed by Semiconductor Engineering. LVEDC provides administrative support for iTEC.
“These are entry-level positions but you still need to have technical aptitude, know basic math such as how to measure, how to work machines, how to problem solve,” Gelinas said in the article.
The iTEC apprentices fall into a broad age range, she said.
“They tend to be folks in their mid-20s to 35. They’ve been in the workforce for a bit and now they’re making strategic decisions about where they’d like to see their future go.”
Advanced manufacturing is a leading driver of the economy in Lehigh Valley, Pa. More than 700 manufacturers collectively produce $8.1 billion in output annually. That represents 16% of the region’s $50.2 billion Gross Domestic Product.
The Lehigh Valley has a deep legacy of semiconductor development and production. It began in 1951, with the world’s first mass production of transistors at the Allentown Works of Western Electric.
Semiconductor technology firms currently operating in the Lehigh Valley include AAYUNA, Broadcom, Cisco, Coherent, Infinera, iDEAL Semiconductor, Intel, and POET Technologies. Collectively, the industry employs about 1,500 people who are developing, producing, and assembling semiconductors that are relied on by brands such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, AWS, AT&T, Verizon, Netflix, and Nokia.
The semiconductor industry is projected to have a shortage of 250,000 to 500,000-plus people by 2030, according to Semiconductor Engineering. The demand for talent at the Lehigh Valley’s semiconductor firms was highlighted in November during a panel discussion of industry leaders at LVEDC’s Fall Signature Event, “Lehigh Valley’s Technology Sector: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”
Through initiatives such as the CHIPS and Science Act, the federal government is trying to dramatically increase the number of semiconductors that are produced in the United States, to protect national security.
The article by Semiconductor Engineering explored how the industry is trying to build a workforce to support that goal.
The publication has a monthly readership of more than 160,000. It was created by chip architects, engineers, journalists, end users, industry organizations, and standards bodies to provide insights into the designing, testing, verifying, integrating, and manufacturing of semiconductors.