(The Center Square) – Intel is starting up a workforce development program with some help of the state of Arizona in order to bolster the state’s growing semiconductor industry. 

The program is meant to train people to become manufacturing facility technicians in a formal apprenticeship, the first of its kind in the United States from the technology company. According to a news release, the apprenticeship will feature educational components from the Maricopa County Community College District. 

“Facility technicians are especially difficult to find,” Christy Pambianchi, Intel’s Chief People Officer, said in a statement. “There is a much smaller pool of trained applicants with this specific skill set. The Intel apprenticeship program addresses this challenge by expanding the semiconductor talent pipeline and providing critical support structures, especially needed for women and underrepresented groups, to help meet the workforce demand of the future.”

The state government has poured $4 million into semiconductor apprenticeships in order hopes to get the jobs filled at Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and others filled by locals.

The federal government has been pushing for more semiconductor development in the United States and tensions grow between Taiwan and China. Chips are a critical part of consumer technology, but most are made in Taiwan, meaning that heightened military activity in the region could jeopardize the supply chain. 

However, labor concerns have been at the forefront of challenges the companies have faced, according to Nikkei Asia. 

“This apprenticeship represents much more than just another program, it’s a bridge for middle-class Arizonans to enter our state’s fast-growing semiconductor industry and launch a career with limitless potential,” Hobbs said, according to a statement. “I am proud to bring together government, industry, education, and community leaders to help launch this worthwhile collaboration.”