The Five Colleges of Ohio – including Denison University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, and The College of Wooster – are core participants in $4.5M of newly-awarded grants to prepare workers for high-paying, high-tech jobs in Ohio.
Intel recently announced plans to invest $20 billion to develop two major semiconductor facilities in central Ohio. Touted as the largest single private-sector investment in Ohio history, the Intel development will create thousands of high-paying jobs and establish Ohio as a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing. Intel will invest $50 million in higher education over the next ten years, starting with an investment of $17.7 million in funding for the Ohio Semiconductor Education and Research Program, engaging the Ohio Five and other Ohio colleges and universities to prepare skilled workers for this vital industry.
The first grant provides $3M in funding for the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication Research and Education (CAFE), an Ohio State-led interdisciplinary center. Partner institutions include the Ohio Five, University of Cincinnati, Central State University, and Wilberforce University. Together, this team will address semiconductor education, research, and workforce needs in Ohio and beyond.
A second funding award for $1.5 million engages the Ohio Five in the Ohio Partnership for a Diverse and Inclusive Semiconductor Ecosystem and Workforce. Led by Ohio State, this partnership with the Ohio Five institutions will help prepare students for Ohio’s emerging semiconductor workforce.
“Thanks to this generous grant from the Intel corporation, the Five Colleges of Ohio will bring students and expertise to Ohio’s emerging and growing semiconductor industry,” said Lindsey Interlante, Executive Director of the Five Colleges of Ohio, Inc. “All of us in Ohio must work together to build more semiconductors in the United States and position the next generation of student workers for success. Together, we are meeting the national security needs of the United States and creating great jobs for Ohio. I can’t imagine a more important reason for colleges and universities to collaborate.”
Founded in 1995, the Five Colleges of Ohio is a consortium that facilitates collaboration to provide cost savings and cost avoidance to our colleges, promote scholarship and innovation on our campuses, and improve our competitive advantage in admissions and faculty recruitment.