In late March, Gabriella Medina, 28, and Danelle Makofske, 45, walked into a community college classroom in Mesa, Arizona, hoping to set themselves up for a new career. 

“I was so scared,” Makofske said. “I came for a fresh start, really.” 

The semiconductor industry helped set up and fund the Quick Start program at Maricopa Community Colleges, a two-week course aimed at preparing students for entry-level jobs in the semiconductor industry. 

With visits from both first lady Jill Biden in 2022 and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in May, the program has been celebrated by the Joe Biden administration as a national model for workforce training. 

https://www.marketplace.org/2024/08/15/semiconductor-jobs-boom-program-phoenix-maricopa-quick-start-intel-chips-hiring/