Material Research Institute at PSU

A $600,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to Penn State’s Silicon Carbide Innovation Alliance (SCIA) aims to address the significant shortage of U.S.-based skilled workers in the rapidly growing semiconductor industry. This grant, combined with matching funds from industry partners and the university, totals more than $1.4 million over three years to support a comprehensive workforce development initiative. The program will fund educational courses, workshops, and paid internships designed to train Pennsylvanians for high-demand jobs in the semiconductor field, which is experiencing significant growth driven by surging interest in artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. 

Closing a significant gap

“The United States faces a significant gap in its semiconductor workforce,” said Joshua Robinson, professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State and leader of the SCIA, in a press release. “This grant allows us to develop hands-on training programs that will equip Pennsylvanians with the skills needed to fill these crucial roles.”

The semiconductor industry has experienced a seemingly contradictory situation in 2024, where some companies are cutting workers while the broader industry simultaneously faces a shortage of skilled workers. A growing trend, too, is to restore growth to the U.S. semiconductor industry, after years of outsourcing. The CHIPS and Science Act: Enacted in 2022, for instance, is one driver. The legislation provides $39 billion in incentives for semiconductor manufacturing and a separate advanced manufacturing investment tax credit.

The U.S. now does not produce enough silicon carbide (SiC) to meet the growing demand, which SCIA expects to be two to three times higher by 2030. Factors driving demand include growing popularity of electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, and high-performance electronics. SiC’s ability to withstand high voltages and temperatures makes it well-suited for these applications.

Collaborative initiative aims to establish Pennsylvania as a semiconductor hub

The SCIA, a collaborative effort between Penn State, industry leaders including HORIBA, Onsemi, Morgan Advanced Materials, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Coherent, and Malvern Panalytical, and government agencies, aims to establish Pennsylvania as a national center for semiconductor research and manufacturing. The initiative will tap Penn State’s high-tech facilities, such as the Materials Characterization Laboratory (MCL), to provide practical training and foster industry collaborations.

“Each year the MCL supports researchers from more than 45 different academic departments at Penn State,” said Josh Stapleton, MCL director and associate research professor. “The combination of knowledge of what industry needs and our decades of experience providing practical characterization training has us well positioned to support the training of Pennsylvania’s new semiconductor workforce.”