Semiconductor Engineering

Semiconductor Engineering Features and Benefits

• Fully tuition-free apprenticeship certificate option (15 units) available, with full-time employment, livable wage, and benefits.
• Designed in response to the nationwide semiconductor workforce shortage and backed by the CHIPS and Science Act and industry partners.
• Pathway to an Associate of Science (AS) in Semiconductor Engineering, enabling you to advance into higher-level roles.
• Hands-on training in clean-room operations: wafer handling, contamination control, lithography, etching, deposition, testing and manufacturing processes.
• Located in the heart of Silicon Valley’s semiconductor ecosystem — strong regional demand and employer network support.
• Excellent career outlook: national labor reports expect thousands of technicians will be needed across new fabs and manufacturing expansions.
• Transferable technical, STEM and manufacturing skills that open doors into semiconductor, microelectronics, advanced manufacturing and tech-hardware industries.

Meeting the Need for Semiconductor Training

In 2022, Congress enacted the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act, a major investment in rebuilding U.S. chip manufacturing capacity. In direct response, Foothill College began developing a Semiconductor Processing Technician Apprenticeship—working alongside leading industry and education partners to meet the region’s critical workforce needs.

Throughout 2023, Foothill and its business partners collaborated to design the curriculum and register the program with the U.S. Department of Labor and the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS), establishing the first registered semiconductor apprenticeship program in both California and the nation. This effort reflects Foothill’s commitment to supporting Silicon Valley’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem and expanding pathways into high-skill, high-wage STEM careers.