Don't Build a Tower. Build a Bridge.

Right now, several universities in Sonora are discussing how to respond to the momentum around semiconductors.

Some are proposing a dedicated master’s program in semiconductors. Others are exploring new degrees or specialized certificates.

This isn’t unusual. When a new industry priority emerges, the academic instinct is often to build a new tower.

It’s visible. It’s fundable. It feels like progress.

But semiconductors — and particularly ATP — don’t need a new tower. They need a bridge.

The most powerful thing a university can do right now isn’t create a siloed program. It’s to embed semiconductor knowledge and ATP-relevant skills into every major that touches the value chain: electrical, mechanical, chemical, industrial, materials.

That’s how the ecosystem gets to scale.

That’s how you make talent mobile.

And that’s how you build a pipeline that looks like what OSATs actually need.

We've Seen This Before

This same thing happened with entrepreneurship.

Instead of making entrepreneurial thinking part of every program — engineering, architecture, law, design — many universities created standalone entrepreneurship degrees.

The result? A few specialists. A missed opportunity.

Semiconductors are heading down the same path. We don’t need 20 students in a master's program. We need 2,000 students — across the state — learning semiconductor-relevant content, in programs that already exist.

And to get there, universities will have to do something hard: align with each other.

This is consistent with the approach ASU has taken in Arizona — embedding semiconductor capabilities into existing degree pathways instead of isolating them in standalone programs. The results speak for themselves.

Why This Matters

For micro-credentials and technician pathways to work, students need to be able to move between institutions — even across borders.

That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when:

• Curricula align around common standards

• Credits are transferable

• Programs embed ATP content horizontally, not just vertically

This is what SIA recommends in its workforce reports. And it’s what Sonora will need to do if it wants to build talent that’s not just available — but investable.

Why We’re Betting on Technicians

When people think about semiconductors, they picture engineers — PhDs in cleanrooms, inventing the future. And that’s fair. But if Sonora wants to be taken seriously in the semiconductor value chain, especially in backend operations, it needs to bet big on someone else: the technician.

Not as a side bet. As the starting point.

Because the truth is, ATP lines and fabs don’t run on PhDs. They run on people who can show up every day and keep the machines running. People who don’t need a four-year degree, but who do need to know what they’re doing — and learn it fast.

A Global Industry Built on Short-Cycle Skills

Across the U.S. and worldwide, the semiconductor workforce gap is most acute not at the top of the pyramid, but at its base. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), 39% of unfilled jobs by 2030 will be technician roles, most of which require some post-secondary training — but not a bachelor’s degree.

This is both a crisis and an opportunity.

A crisis, because if we don’t train these workers, ATP operations won’t scale. An opportunity, because we can build that workforce faster and more affordably than trying to mint thousands of new engineers from scratch.

It’s why the CHIPS Act makes workforce development a top priority. It’s also why forward-looking regions — from Ohio to New York — are doubling down on short-cycle, modular training programs designed to fill this exact gap.

And it’s exactly why Sonora is acting now.

What We’re Doing About It

We’re prioritizing the development of ATP Technician Training Programs built around three core principles:

1. Short-cycle formats: Programs that get people job-ready in months, not years.

2. Modular certifications: Stackable skills that let workers build careers step by step.

3. Industry alignment: Training co-designed with — and validated by — the companies we aim to attract.

Think less like a university syllabus, and more like a high-performance pit crew: tight training, precise execution, continuous improvement.

This isn’t just theory. With partners like ASU, local universities, and global OSATs, we’re already co-developing the formats that will let Sonoran workers hit the ground running.

Why It Matters

If you’re a young person in Sonora wondering what to do next, this matters because it creates a new path to high-paying, future-proof jobs — no degree required.

If you’re a policymaker, it matters because it’s the fastest way to close the workforce gap and deliver inclusive economic growth.

And if you’re an OSAT leader evaluating where to expand, it matters because it signals that Sonora gets it — and is building the exact kind of workforce you need.

Design may start the process. Fabs may build the chip. But ATP is where quality meets scale — and that’s where Sonora is investing first: in the people who’ll make it all work.