LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – With the ongoing shortage of semiconductors in the U.S., some Michigan entities are working to combat the supply line trends. 

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“Michigan’s legendary manufacturing heritage and bold investments in workforce and economic development have us in a strong position to build the future of cars, chips, and clean energy,” Governor Whitmer said in a statement. “One year after the CHIPS and Science Act, we are continuing to demonstrate our leadership with more battery plants, semiconductor facilities, and innovative workforce programs. Our know-how and deep industry roots put us in a strong position to be a global leader in so many emerging industries, backed by the powerful incentives in the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. Together, we will continue getting things done to help anyone ‘make it’ in Michigan.”

Just over a year since the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act was passed, some groups have not only followed the current supply line issues regarding semiconductors, but also projected that there will be a national shortage of qualified workers in the field of semiconductors in the near future. 

“We project the semiconductor industry’s workforce will grow by nearly 115,000 jobs by 2030, from approximately 345,000 jobs today to approximately 460,000 jobs by the end of the decade, representing 33% growth,” Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) officials said. 

While the roughly 1/3 growth for the industry shows promise for its future, SIA also predicts that there may not be an adequate supply of trained personnel to deal with that increase. 

“Of these new jobs, we estimate roughly 67,000—or 58% of projected new jobs (and 80% of projected new technical jobs)—risk going unfilled at current degree completion rates,” SIA officials said, “Of the unfilled jobs, 39% will be technicians, most of whom will have certificates or two-year degrees; 35% will be engineers with four-year degrees or computer scientists; and 26% will be engineers at the master’s or PhD level.” 

In addition to the federal funds provided through CHIPS, Michigan allocated $350 million to launch the Make It In Michigan Competitiveness Fund which seeks to put more investing in the semiconductor and adjacent STEM industries. 

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According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan ranks 5th in the nation for employment in industries related to electric vehicle battery manufacturing, and has a semiconductor workforce that is within the top 10 in the nation, anticipating more than 10% growth in the next five years. 

In May, the state launched a new program, the Semiconductor Talent Action Team (TAT) , a group aimed at creating solutions and addressing semiconductor reliance out of state by bringing more supply chains to the state.