The SEMI Foundation, serving as the Hub Operator for the National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME), announced the launch of the first four Regional Nodes of the NNME. The NNME is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce and is aligned with the CHIPS and Science Act. It is designed as national infrastructure for microelectronics talent development.
The four Regional Nodes are:
- NNME Southwest, led by the Arizona Commerce Authority, serving Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
- NNME Pacific Intermountain, led by Boise State University, serving Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Northern California, and Hawaii.
- NNME Northeast, led by NY Creates, serving Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.
- NNME South, led by the University of Texas at Austin, serving Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Utah, and Alabama.
Collectively, the four Regional Nodes activate a national network of more than 325 organizations, including K-12 school districts, colleges and universities, workforce development organizations, economic development agencies, community-based organizations, and semiconductor employers.
The SEMI Foundation and NSF expect to support the four Regional Nodes with potential funding of up to $20 million per node over five years.
A recent national landscape analysis by the SEMI Foundation in collaboration with McKinsey & Company projects a U.S. shortfall of approximately 127,000 to 157,000 semiconductor and microelectronics workers by 2030.
The NNME aims to address this gap by aligning industry demand with education, training, and career pathways. It focuses on expanding awareness, accelerating workforce readiness, modernizing education and training systems, and connecting learners to employment opportunities across the semiconductor ecosystem, including manufacturing, advanced packaging, facilities operations, equipment maintenance, integrated circuit design, materials, and emerging technologies.
“America’s ability to lead in semiconductors depends on whether we can build and sustain the workforce needed to power innovation here at home,” said Senator Todd Young.
“The launch of these Regional Nodes constitutes the activation of national infrastructure built to meet the most consequential economic and technological challenge of our time,” said Shari Liss, Vice President of Workforce Development and Initiatives at SEMI and the SEMI Foundation.
The NNME Hub will work with employers and Regional Nodes to translate national workforce standards and industry needs into scalable education and training programs. Industry partners will shape curriculum, validate skills, and support work-based learning.
