Earlier this week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo traveled to Austin, Texas where she toured Austin Community College (ACC) to see first-hand how they are equipping students with the knowledge and skills for the manufacturing jobs of the future. Last week, Secretary Raimondo spoke to Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service where stressed the need for a trained workforce and the need for chip manufacturers, construction companies, and unions to work toward the national goal of hiring and training more workers in this critical industry.

“To revitalize our technology and manufacturing sectors, we need to start with training and inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists,” said Secretary Raimondo. “We’re calling on colleges and universities to triple the number of graduates in semiconductor-related fields, including engineering, over the next decade.”

The day before her visit to ACC, the Commerce Department announced its first funding opportunity for the CHIPS and Science Act for commercial manufacturers looking to build new production facilities in the U.S. The CHIPS and Science Act allocated $39 billion for manufacturing incentives to encourage companies to build and expand. Chips form the foundation of every advanced technology including the smartphone, cloud computing service, new cars, medical devices, and the weapons system we use today.

Following her visit to ACC, she hosted a roundtable with local businesses and leaders to discuss how we are protecting U.S. national security, strengthening U.S. supply chains, and creating good-paying American jobs with the CHIPS and Science Act.

Earlier in the day, Secretary Raimondo participated in a discussion on closing the digital divide at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance where she announced the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is seeking input on how to structure nearly $2.7 billion in Digital Equity Act grant programs to close the digital divide by equipping everyone in America with the digital skills and devices they need to thrive online. Raimondo stressed that Commerce is working hard every day to fulfill the President’s promise to deliver affordable, high-speed Internet to every community.

“President Biden ensured that digital equity was at the center of expanding high-speed Internet access to everyone in America when he signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Secretary Raimondo. “We need to hear directly from those who are most impacted by the systemic barriers that prevent some from fully utilizing the Internet.” 

To read more about Secretary Raimondo’s speech at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, please click here. Visit CHIPS.gov to learn more about CHIPS for America. The website contains many helpful resources including webinars, the CHIPS Implementation Strategy, and the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) Update to the Community.