One program is a two-week, intensive training session aimed at qualifying community college students to work as factory technicians.
The other is a pilot program to expose Hillsboro high school students to opportunities in technology, with the goal of recruiting a broader and more diverse range of potential workers. Intel said it hopes to expand that program statewide.
“These roles are so critical to our operations, and they are in such high demand,” said Christy Pambianchi, Intel’s chief people officer.
Intel is Oregon’s largest corporate employer, with 22,000 people working at its Washington County campuses. On Monday, the company formally opened a $3 billion expansion of its D1X research factory, which the company has said will ultimately add more than 1,700 jobs.
Like many employers, though, Intel has been struggling to fill open positions. Oregon’s unemployment rate is near a historic low and the statehas fewer unemployed people across all than open jobs.
Intel advertised heavily on TV and radio last fall, seeking technicians to run its factories — which the chip industry calls fabs. It’s now running recruitment ads on the side of TriMet buses.
“We’re in a fierce competition for talent and labor everywhere we operate,” Pambianchi said Monday.
Fab technicians are typically the front-line workers operating the tools that make computer chips. Workers typically have a two-year community college degree, and recent grades typically start with wages around $60,000, according to Portland Community College, which is working with Intel on its recruitment efforts.
Intel’s two-week “Quick Start” program is modeled on a similar initiative in Arizona, where Intel also has a large presence. Students who complete the program receive college credits and a certificate verifying their training.
The high school pilot program will launch with 10 to 30 Hillsboro students and introduce them to opportunities in tech manufacturing. In time, Pambianchi said Intel hopes to expand the program statewide, with a particular focus on students from diverse backgrounds and rural communities.
“We’re trying to widen the aperture and get as many people (as possible) realizing these are careers we can pursue,” Pambianchi said.
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