CHIPS for America Leaders Visit Lorain County Community College
Elyria, Ohio, Nov. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For more than a decade, Lorain County Community College has been training students for careers in the semiconductor and microelectronic manufacturing industry. Leaders from CHIPS for America visited LCCC to learn more about how the college works with local employers to prepare students to meet an expected boom in industry demand.
“The college was founded 60 years ago, in part, to help meet the demand for skilled workers in the manufacturing sector,” LCCC President Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D., said. “LCCC is committed to training a workforce to meet the demands in the semiconductor industry. We’re honored to build upon that foundation as we continue to build a skilled workforce in the future of manufacturing, including semiconductors and microchips.”
In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the bi-partisan CHIPS and Science Act, providing the Department of Commerce $50 billion for a suite of programs to strengthen and revitalize the U.S. position in semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing — while also investing in American workers. This investment will shape the future of Ohio and the Midwest, as Intel builds two chipmaking factories in Columbus, creating a new Silicon Heartland. Based in Washington, D.C., the CHIPs for America team travelled to LCCC to learn more about the college’s microelectronic manufacturing programs – and the talent pipeline the program fills for local industry.
“The CHIPS and Science Act is a part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda that aims to revive America’s semiconductor manufacturing industry while bringing new jobs to communities across the United States,” said CHIPS for America’s Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Ayodele Okeowo. “Institutions like Lorain County Community College show how local educational partners can serve as leaders in the semiconductor industry by helping to train and expand the high-skilled workforce needed to fill these future chip manufacturing jobs.”
While Intel’s investment in Ohio is new, the microelectronic industry in the state has been well-established several years. By working directly with local employers, LCCC has honed its unique expertise in semiconductor and microelectronic manufacturing education and training for more than 10 years. The college delivers Ohio’s only associate of applied science and bachelor of applied science degrees in microelectronic manufacturing (MEMS), as well as short-term certificates. The programs were developed in response to employer need and have 100% job placement rates for graduates, in part because of innovative earn and learn paid internship opportunities built into the curriculum with more than 80 Northeast Ohio employers.
Lia Douglas, an LCCC student from Grafton, splits her time between the classroom and on-the-job experience in a paid internship with Lincoln Electric. The college’s focus on post-graduation employment is what drew her to LCCC’s microelectronic manufacturing program.
“This program’s dedication to getting you employed and connected with employers is there from the first semester,” said Douglas, who graduated from Lorain County Joint Vocational School with coursework in mechanical engineering. “Within the first week at LCCC, I was soldering; I was in a clean room. Every part of this program is about preparing you for employment.”
Payton Regal, a microelectronic manufacturing student from Wellington, uses her classroom knowledge in a paid internship at White Horse Labs in Westlake, where she tests chips to ensure they are free from fraud or tampering.
“I’m learning on both sides – in class and also at the company,” Regal said. “In the short time I’ve been in my internship, my confidence has grown, and I’m building a relationship with my employer.”
By gaining on-the-job experience during the academic program, LCCC students like Douglas and Regal graduate prepared for the workforce. And it couldn’t happen at a better time.
“LCCC is a leader in microelectronic manufacturing education and training, and the demand is growing each day,” Ballinger said. “Through collaboration with industry, education, economic development leaders and the federal government, we are building the Silicon Heartland and preparing graduates for well-paying careers here in Northeast Ohio.”
Learn more about LCCC’s microelectronic manufacturing programs at www.lorainccc.edu/mems. Classes start on or after January 16, 2024.
Kim Carrasquillo Lorain County Community College kcarrasq@lorainccc.edu
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