Prepare High School Students for STEM Careers in Semiconductor Manufacturing at the University of Nevada Las Vegas
Addressing the Semiconductor Workforce Shortage in the USA
Semiconductor manufacturing forms the backbone of modern technology in the USA. From the smartphones in our pockets and the electric vehicles on our roads to advanced medical equipment like blood pressure sensors, microchips power the devices society relies on daily. As these chips become smaller and more powerful, the demand for skilled professionals who understand microelectronics continues to rise at an unprecedented rate.
According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, the industry expects to add approximately 115,000 new jobs by 2030. However, projections indicate that nearly 60% of these positions could remain unfilled due to a significant skills and training gap. This shortage presents a critical challenge for the domestic technology supply chain and national security. To address this impending crisis, educational institutions must intervene earlier in the academic pipeline, targeting students before they enter college.
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The Growing Demand for Microelectronics Professionals
The complexity of modern semiconductor manufacturing requires a highly specialized workforce. Professionals in this field must possess a deep understanding of electronic systems, circuit-level design, and the stringent environmental protocols required to fabricate microchips. Traditional high school curricula rarely touch upon these advanced concepts, leaving a disconnect between student interests and the realities of the modern tech industry. By introducing these concepts early, universities can help students build a strong foundational knowledge that prepares them for rigorous collegiate engineering programs.
Inside the ACIES Program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas
To bridge the gap between secondary education and high-tech industry demands, the University of Nevada Las Vegas has launched the AI-driven, Career Inspiring Experiential Program for Semiconductor Education (ACIES). Supported by a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation, this initiative is designed to immerse high school students directly into the world of microelectronics and semiconductor manufacturing.
Over a four-year period, ACIES will train 96 high-achieving high school students. Mei Yang, the ACIES program director and chair of the electrical and computer engineering department at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, emphasizes that the coursework operates at an advanced level unavailable in standard high school settings. The primary goal is to encourage future college students to seriously consider careers in this highly lucrative and essential field.
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Hands-On Clean Room Experience and Circuit Design
The ACIES program utilizes a top-down educational approach to maintain student engagement while systematically building technical complexity. The training occurs across three distinct workshops running from January through early June. In the first session, students focus on system-level design by building robots. This provides a tangible, macro-level understanding of how electronic systems function.
The second session transitions to circuit-level design, where students learn about the components that make those systems operate. Finally, the third session dives into semiconductor manufacturing—the process of creating the microchips that power the robots and other technologies. This progression allows high school students to grasp the overarching purpose of a component before attempting to understand its microscopic intricacies.
One of the most critical components of the training takes place in the Science and Engineering Building’s clean room. Because microchips contain highly complex logic, they must be manufactured in an environment with an extremely low number of airborne particulates. Even a single speck of dust can ruin the intricate inner workings of a chip. Under the direction of Emely Garcia, an instructor and direct-to-Ph.D. student in electrical engineering, participants don head-to-toe personal protective equipment to handle fragile materials. Students learn to clean silicon wafers using acetone and methanol, establishing the foundational skills required to build photodetectors and light-sensing devices.
Connecting Classroom Knowledge to Real-World STEM Careers
Experiential learning is most effective when students can see how their academic work translates into actual industry practices. The University of Nevada Las Vegas integrates field trips and professional exposure directly into the ACIES curriculum to ensure students understand the scale and scope of semiconductor manufacturing in the USA.
Paid Internships and Industry Field Trips
Program participants have the opportunity to visit advanced fabrication facilities, such as the Texas Instruments 300-mm wafer fabrication plant in Lehi, Utah. Seeing an industrial clean room and the sophisticated machinery used to produce wafers on a massive scale reinforces the techniques learned in the university laboratory. It also demonstrates the diverse career opportunities available at various levels of the microelectronics ecosystem.
Furthermore, the ACIES program transitions from theoretical and laboratory training to practical work experience through paid internships. Funded by the National Science Foundation grant, participants work up to 160 hours at a local company, earning $12.50 per hour. These internships place students in active workplaces, such as Pololu Robotics, where they perform tasks like soldering and component assembly. This direct exposure helps solidify their interest in STEM careers while providing them with valuable resume-building experience before they even graduate high school.
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How High School Students Can Benefit from Early Exposure
Early exposure to advanced technical concepts yields significant benefits for high school students. Matthew Chavarria, a rising senior at Centennial High School and an ACIES participant, exemplifies the type of motivated student these programs attract. Chavarria spent two years designing and building a 500,000-volt Tesla coil in his backyard—a project driven by independent research, trial and error, and continuous design iteration. While his parents may not have understood the technical specifics, their encouragement fueled his passion.
Programs like ACIES take that inherent curiosity and channel it into structured, professional environments. Shaoan Zhang, ACIES co-PI and a professor of teacher education, notes that students are highly engaged when artificial intelligence, hands-on learning, and real-world applications are combined. This engagement is crucial for career exploration, helping students envision themselves as active participants in the semiconductor ecosystem rather than mere observers.
Hongming Xu, a Clark County School District high school teacher and graduate researcher with the College of Education, has observed the program’s impact on student demeanor. According to Xu, ACIES students become highly confident and capable. When faced with challenging topics or technical obstacles, they do not back down. Instead, their motivation increases as the difficulty rises. This resilience is a critical trait for success in engineering and STEM careers, where complex problem-solving is a daily requirement.
Next Steps for Aspiring Engineers
As the semiconductor industry continues to expand across the USA, the need for a well-prepared workforce becomes increasingly urgent. Initiatives like the ACIES program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas demonstrate how universities can effectively partner with local school districts and industry leaders to create comprehensive educational pathways. By providing high school students with access to clean rooms, advanced circuit design tools, and paid internships, these programs demystify the semiconductor manufacturing process and make STEM careers accessible and attainable.
For high school students with a strong aptitude for math and science, seeking out experiential learning opportunities is essential. Building independent projects, applying for specialized summer workshops, and engaging with university-level resources can significantly enhance college applications and career readiness. The integration of practical skills with academic theory ensures that the next generation of engineers is prepared to meet the demands of the modern technology landscape.
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