Merit America, a national workforce development nonprofit, and the AFF Foundation, the charitable arm of America’s Frontier Fund (AFF), in partnership with Austin Community College District (ACC), announced today a national expansion of ACC’s Advanced Manufacturing Production (AMP) training program as part of the Opportunity Coalition. This initiative will provide individuals from low-income backgrounds nationwide access to high-quality technical training at no upfront cost, addressing workforce gaps in critical technology sectors and driving economic mobility.
The Opportunity Coalition is a national initiative led jointly by Merit America and the AFF Foundation to tackle skills shortages across multiple high-demand industries. The semiconductor industry is the first focus area of the Opportunity Coalition, addressing a critical workforce gap in a sector that powers everything from smartphones to medical devices to renewable energy.
The Brookings Institution found that 67,000 of the projected 115,000 new chips jobs expected by 2030 risk going unfilled, out of which 39 percent will be technician roles that don’t require a four-year degree. Meanwhile, there are more than 53 million low-wage workers in the U.S. without bachelor’s degrees who are disproportionately from historically marginalized communities more vulnerable to economic disruption. The Opportunity Coalition aims to bridge this gap, equipping low-wage workers with the skills they need to thrive in this vital sector while strengthening the nation’s workforce and technological competitiveness.
Merit America will oversee learner recruitment, skill development, and job placement strategies nationwide, ensuring participants are equipped for family-sustaining careers. The AFF Foundation will administer the Opportunity Coalition, coordinating corporate, social sector, and government partnerships to scale the initiative and ensure alignment with national workforce needs. ACC will deliver its best-in-class curriculum and technical training, providing hands-on and online instruction tailored to meet industry standards.
ACC’s cutting-edge AMP program was developed under the leadership of Dr. Laura Marmolejo, Dean for Advanced Manufacturing Programs at ACC, and combines three days of essential hands-on training with online coursework, creating accessible pathways to high-wage careers in manufacturing for a broader range of individuals. The College’s program is the first to receive the SEMI Foundation’s Fundamental Semiconductor Knowledge Certification–– highlighting the highest standards and setting the stage for continued collaboration to support industry growth. During her visit to ACC, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo highlighted the program as a best-in-class approach to rapidly train workers for roles such as semiconductor technicians, for which there are a projected 109,000 positions in the U.S. that are expected to go unfilled by 2030.
“Expanding our program nationally not only means delivering on our mission of expanding educational access, but also the potential for ACC to profoundly impact economic mobility,” said Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, Chancellor of ACC. “We’re proud to lead this charge alongside our partners, breaking down barriers to employment and setting a new standard for workforce development.”
The Opportunity Coalition will launch its semiconductor workforce development initiative with a pilot in Central Texas, supported by the Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE), a semiconductor consortium supported by the University of Texas at Austin, and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The pilot aims to establish Central Texas as a national center of excellence for semiconductor workforce development and will serve as a model for scaling the program to key markets such as Ohio, Arizona, New Mexico, and New York.
A major hurdle in workforce training today is the lack of portable credentials, as regional variations in standards and curricula can limit workers’ career mobility. By collaborating with education, government, and employer partners nationally, the Opportunity Coalition will work to harmonize training standards, enabling workers to seamlessly transition into in-demand roles across the country.
Jordan Blashek, Co-Founder and President of the AFF Foundation, commented, “Our commitment through the Opportunity Coalition Fund is to forge a future where every American can access the education and opportunities needed to succeed in high-demand fields. This program is an important step towards achieving our vision of ensuring economic resilience by building up America’s national competitiveness.”
In partnership with Ascent Funding, a leader in learner-friendly educational financing, and with support from funders including Ascendium Education Group and Blue Meridian Partners, the Opportunity Coalition will cover the upfront cost of training, wrap-around services, and job placement support needed to upskill low-income Americans for in-demand roles facing talent shortages in the semiconductor industry. Learners repay only if and when they earn at least $40,000 annually. Merit America’s outcomes point to significant wage gains for participants under this model – their alumni have reported an average annual wage increase of $24,000 three or more months after program completion.
Connor Diemand-Yauman and Rebecca Taber Staehelin, Co-CEOs and Co-Founders of Merit America, noted, “Nearly half of America’s workforce is stuck in low-wage work as companies struggle to fill high-paying advanced manufacturing jobs. Our goal is to bridge this gap. We’re thrilled to be scaling ACC’s curriculum nationally, connecting talented individuals with family-sustaining careers while investing in our country’s long-term competitiveness and security.”
