Investment Isn’t Enough—America Needs a Semiconductor Workforce Strategy

By Mike Russo, President & CEO, NIICA 

The single greatest threat to America’s semiconductor ambition isn’t capital or technology—it’s the shortage of skilled workers needed to support the industry.  

As we mark National Semiconductor Day today, first established by NIICA through a congressional resolution, it underscores that America’s economic future and national security depend on whether we can address this shortage.

Semiconductors are now the foundation of every critical system we rely on: advanced manufacturing, defense, transportation, energy, and the rapidly expanding world of AI-enabled technologies. But as the nation races to rebuild domestic production, one truth has become impossible to ignore: we cannot secure America’s semiconductor future without a coordinated, scalable workforce strategy. 

For decades, U.S. chip manufacturing followed a “design here, build elsewhere” model. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), “U.S. companies account for 48% of the world’s chip sales, but U.S.-located fabs only account for 12% of the world’s semiconductor manufacturing, down from 37% in 1990.”  

With the wave of investments made by both the public and private sector over the past few years, it’s expected that the industry’s workforce demand will grow by nearly 115,000 jobs by 2030, but roughly 67,000 of those jobs are at risk of going unfilled. 

This National Semiconductor Day reinforces something we see every day at NIICA: the nation has momentum, but momentum alone isn’t a strategy. As demand accelerates, our role—and the role of our partners—is to help move the country from scattered efforts to a cohesive, national workforce approach that can reliably produce the talent this industry depends on. 

A Positive Shift in Federal Workforce Priorities 

The announcement of the One Million Apprentices initiative marks an important moment. By directing the Departments of Labor, Education, and Commerce to collaborate on expanding Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) into new industries, the administration made clear that apprenticeship is not a side effort—it is a national workforce strategy. 

For NIICA, this aligns directly with our mission and expertise. As the national U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) Intermediary for semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, we have helped design, launch, and support RA programs across the supply chain, demonstrating how structured, competency‑based training can rapidly prepare workers for high‑stakes, high‑precision roles. RAs must play a central role in building America’s modern workforce, and NIICA is working every day to ensure the semiconductor industry has the national infrastructure required to do so. 

For semiconductor and advanced manufacturing employers—where workers need to learn complex skills quickly—this approach meets real, everyday needs. RAs help new hires get up to speed faster, stay on the job longer, and build the exact skills companies rely on. They also open the door to people who may not have a degree or prior experience but are ready to learn while earning a paycheck. 

At NIICA, we’ve seen this firsthand. Under our national work with the USDOL, apprentices across our network are moving into opportunities with competitive wages, supporting fabs, suppliers, and R&D environments where precision and consistency are essential to success. 

But building a national pipeline isn’t just about designing programs—it’s about making sure those programs connect. 

We see every day how apprenticeship programs translate into real workforce strength—not in abstract terms, but in the form of technicians, operators, and maintenance specialists contributing across fabs, supplier facilities, and advanced manufacturing environments. Employers consistently tell us that graduates reach proficiency faster, adapt more quickly to high‑precision work, and bring job‑ready consistency the industry depends on.  

The model works. The challenge now is making these programs connected, scalable, and accessible across the entire ecosystem. 

The Workforce Challenge: Scale, Speed, and Fragmentation 

The semiconductor industry is inherently cyclical. Employers regularly navigate periods of rapid expansion followed by slower demand. These cycles can affect hiring timelines and training windows, and without long-term workforce infrastructure, they also risk slowing down national progress. 

Yet the larger obstacle isn’t the business cycle—it’s fragmentation. Across the country, well-intentioned organizations are creating isolated workforce solutions, duplicating efforts, and competing for the same talent. Colleges develop curricula from scratch, companies build training programs in isolation, and regional groups attempt to design new strategies rather than using the national resources already available. 

This patchwork approach creates confusion for workers, delays for employers, and unnecessary costs for states and training partners. It also slows the very progress the nation needs most. 

A unified workforce strategy—one built on shared resources, consistent frameworks, and aligned data—must replace fragmented, duplicative approaches. 

A National Strategy to Build the Semiconductor Workforce 

At NIICA, we have spent years developing the national infrastructure needed to support the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing workforce at scale. 

Through the National Talent Hub™, we created a data-driven, dynamic platform that connects employers, educators, and workers through standardized competencies, job-alignment tools, and training pathways. It also anchors NIICA’s National Apprentice Network, a growing community of apprentices and employers using shared standards and portable skills to support mobility across the supply chain. 

Across the country, we’ve helped design and expand apprenticeship programs with companies across the semiconductor ecosystem—from global manufacturers to growing suppliers and facilities teams. These efforts ensure that workers gain transferable skills that support not only semiconductors, but the broader landscape of AI-driven and advanced manufacturing careers.  

And through our national partnerships, we have built a collaborative model that strengthens regional ecosystems while maintaining national coherence. This is the difference between growth that is temporary and growth that is sustainable. 

The Path Forward: Building What’s Next 

To meet the demands of 2030 and beyond, the U.S. must build a workforce strategy that matches the scale of its ambitions. This isn’t just an economic issue—it’s a strategic necessity.  

Semiconductors underpin U.S. defense readiness, technological leadership, and the resilience of the industries that shape modern life. Ensuring the workforce behind them is prepared is, in every sense, a national imperative. 

On this National Semiconductor Day, we acknowledge the progress underway—but more importantly, we commit to accelerating the work required to meet the nation’s long-term needs. 

Mike Russo is the President and CEO of the National Institute for Industry and Career Advancement (NIICA). With over 30 years of experience in workforce development, labor relations, and advanced manufacturing, Mike has been at the forefront of building the talent pipeline for critical industries in the United States. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with government agencies, educational institutions, and industry leaders to establish and expand Registered Apprenticeships and skill-based learning programs. His extensive background in both public and private sectors has made him a leading advocate for innovation and workforce advancement in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sectors. 

To learn more about NIICA's work, email info@niica.org. 

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