Maricopa Community College is partnering with Intel to train semiconductor engineers in less than two weeks. Intel plans to build two chip factories in Maricopa County within the next few years, bringing an estimated 6,000 jobs to the state's semiconductor manufacturing industry.

According to a Yahoo Finance report, the intensive 10-day course will equip students with the skills necessary to pursue entry-level positions as semiconductor engineers. The semiconductor manufacturing program focuses on familiarizing students with "the various processes, materials, and techniques used to characterize and fabricate semiconductor chips and microelectronic components. Skills taught include the ability to:

Upon completion of the program, students may apply the credits earned toward an advanced engineering degree or take a certification exam. Tuition for the course is only $270 and is free to in-state students through a government grant.

Arizona is slowly becoming a semiconductor manufacturing hub: chipmaker TSMC is also building a second plant in Arizona, adding more jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for a semiconductor engineer in 2022 was approximately $50,000.

There are already 700 students who have completed the program and there is currently a waiting list for admission. Tom Pearson, interim dean of Maricopa Community College, told Yahoo that because the plant is still under construction, the employment rate for graduates is less than 20%, and employment is not assured even when it becomes available. According to Maricopa College, chipmakers are projected to need more than 20,000 new workers in the next few years. The credentials earned in the program do not expire, so students can fulfill the requirements any time a job opening becomes available, but at this time it is not known when that will be.

Arizona is not the only state becoming a hotbed of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing: Intel is building a $20 billion chip plant in Ohio, which President Biden called a "game changer." The CHIPS/Science Act, passed last year, which provides more than $50 billion in subsidies to companies that produce and manufacture semiconductors in the U.S., is a major driver of this new action.