UF’s “PATHS” program trains autistic students for semiconductor manufacturing with virtual reality and custom tools. The initiative also offers hands‑on training, resume help and one-on-one mentorships for neurodivergent students.
Breaking barriers, building careers: UF is training autistic adults for semiconductor careers
In a collaboration linking academia, tech firms, autism advocates and a significantly underemployed population, the University of Florida is establishing a new pipeline of semiconductor workers perfect for the job.
Preparing for its second class, the program educates and prepares autistic students — people considered neurodivergent — using virtual reality and other custom tools for careers in semiconductor manufacturing. In doing so, the collaboration is working to change workplace culture and break down barriers to help people on the spectrum thrive in the talent-hungry tech sector.
The UF certificate program is dubbed PATHS, which stands for Preparing the Autistic Population Toward Hardware Security. It is led by UF’s Digital Worlds Institute, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, or ECE, UF’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities and UF’s College of Education, Educational Technology program.