FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KATV) — In an effort to fulfill workforce needs in the semiconductor industry, the University of Arkansas has been granted $1 million to enhance electronics education through credit and non-credit courses offered.
Coordinators who will serve in the program are Jason Serin, chief of operations for the U of A Power Group, Jeff Dix, assistant professor of electrical engineering at the U of A, and Shawn Bell, director of workforce development for the U of A Power Group.
Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering, will fulfill the role as principal investigator for the award.
The statewide program aims to bring state industries, K-12 schools, and institutions of higher learning together in a collaborative approach to address staffing needs in the semiconductor industry.
“This grant offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the Arkansas workforce, specifically in the semiconductor and electronics industries,” Mantoonth said. “It provides students access to continued education that will equip them for higher-paying jobs, improving their futures, therefore improving the future of our state.
The program makes sure students are equipped with sufficient information on areas such as electronics, packaging, manufacturing and automation technologies, components such as data analytics and semiconductor technology.
Composed of modules, credit and non-credit courses designed for upskilling and stackable certificates will be able to transfer to 2- and 4- year colleges if students desire higher degrees.
Goals for the program include increasing the number of certifications in hand soldering and inspection of electronic assemblies and detecting defects and nonconformities.
Courses will also cover resistors, capacitors, diodes, basic troubleshooting functions for faults and failures.
Students who enroll can also select which modules they desire to take to increase knowledge in specific areas.
