The Florida Semiconductor Institute Joins the National Network for Microelectronics Education South Regional Node in Partnership with University of Texas at Austin

As the United States expands domestic semiconductor production to reduce reliance on foreign manufacturing, industry leaders and policymakers face a critical workforce challenge. The U.S. semiconductor industry is expected to add 115,000 jobs by the end of the decade, with more than half of those positions at risk of going unfilled, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.

Funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Commerce and operated by the SEMI Foundation, NNME South is one of four regional nodes established through the National Network for Microelectronics Education. The initiative is designed to create coordinated education, training and workforce pathways that support the nation’s growing semiconductor and microelectronics industries.

Led by the University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE), NNME South brings together a consortium of over 100 partner organizations, including universities, state colleges, industry partners, workforce organizations and economic development agencies across 10 states.

The region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. It represents approximately one-third of the nation’s semiconductor manufacturing capacity and employs more than 92,000 semiconductor workers. The region is projected to add approximately 29,000 new semiconductor-related jobs during the next decade, making it one of the nation’s most strategically important semiconductor ecosystems.

As part of NNME South, FSI will collaborate with academic, workforce and industry partners to increase cross-state collaboration of university partners, facilitate drive towards national standards​, launch of rapid upskilling programs, bring subject-matter experts from industry ​together with university faculty ​support graduate students doing advanced industry-relevant research​, and expand K12 awareness initiatives. 

“FSI is excited to lead the Florida-wide effort to partner with Texas and other states in the South to grow the semiconductor-industry workforce in our region and nationally,” said Dr. Jack Judy, FSI deputy director for workforce development. “The State of Florida has been a national leader in the development and coordination of effective workforce development across all educational levels. FSI has engaged with stakeholders across the state to help the grow the talent pipeline for the semiconductor industry and support the training needed for high-wage careers in it. We have many best practices we can share with our regional peers and nationally. In addition, partnerships with other states across the node will enable us to identify and adapt the valuable and unique workforce programs and elements of other states to benefit Floridians.” 

NNME South is focused on three primary objectives:
• Aligning education and training programs with employer workforce needs.
• Expanding access to hands-on learning opportunities, including cleanroom training, apprenticeships and internships.
• Building clear career pathways for students, veterans and career changers entering the semiconductor industry.

Florida plays a critical role in the NNME South ecosystem through its strengths in aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing and electronics integration. The University of Florida and FSI support the initiative through Florida’s growing investment in semiconductor research, education and workforce development.
FSI joins a network of academic and industry partners that includes the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Arkansas, the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of Alabama, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, among others.

The NNME South leadership team includes Dr. Jack Judy, deputy director of workforce development for FSI and director of the Nanoscience Institute for Medical and Engineering Technologies at the University of Florida. Judy serves alongside academic and workforce leaders from Texas A&M University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Arkansas, Georgia Tech and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Key to the success of this program is the excellent workforce-development team at FSI, which includes Sophia Watson, associate director of workforce, Dr. Rosanne Perez, workforce development program specialist and Ben Larry, assistant director of workforce integration.

Industry participation is central to the initiative’s employer-driven model. NNME South enters its first year with commitments from 32 employer partners, including  those in  Florida L3Harris, Micross, Northrop Grumman, PICadvanced, Qorvo, Silicon Assurance, SkyWater Technology, and in other partner states: AMD, Applied Materials, Cadence, Intel, Micron, NXP, Samsung, Synopsys and Texas Instruments, all of which have made multiyear commitments to support workforce development efforts across the region.

During its first year, NNME South will focus on establishing governance structures, expanding regional outreach to K-12 students and educators, enrolling learners in workforce programs, launching new training opportunities, partnering within and between states and placing participants into semiconductor careers. The initiative also aims to develop shared workforce standards and portable credentials that can be adopted across the region and nationally.

Under the NNME framework, the SEMI Foundation, National Science Foundation and Department of Commerce anticipate supporting regional nodes through potential funding opportunities of up to $20 million per node over five years to accelerate workforce development and establish national standards for semiconductor education and training.

As the semiconductor industry continues its historic expansion across the United States, FSI’s participation in NNME South reinforces the commitment of the University of Florida and our partners across the state to advancing innovation, workforce development and economic growth while helping build the talent pipeline needed to support the nation’s semiconductor future.