BETTING ON CHIPS – How Arizona is Preparing for a Flood of New Semiconductor Jobs

The Valley is bucking a national trend for cybersecurity employment. Demand for cybersecurity talent continues to outpace supply despite growth in available education and training programs, according to a recent report from CyberSeek, which tracks information on the U.S. cybersecurity industry. Still, the Phoenix metro has more than enough workers to fill available jobs, the study found. CyberSeek indicates more than 225,000 workers are needed to fill cybersecurity roles in the U.S. 

CyberSeek’s data shows there’s roughly 85 cybersecurity workers available for every 100 jobs open at companies in the U.S., while the Phoenix metro area has 110 workers available for every 100 available jobs. That ratio points to balanced workforce supply and demand in the Valley’s cybersecurity industry, according to CyberSeek. Link to Story >

Valley Cybersecurity Employment Trends Above National Average

The KOREPlex plant in the West Valley will hire a range of employees. While most of our jobs will be available to people with a GED, we will also have product development lines and professional positions requiring advanced degrees. KORE Power’s workforce development strategy includes engagement at several levels. It means working with high schools, colleges and job training programs to offer advanced manufacturing certification. In Arizona, they are in discussions with high schools, Maricopa County Community Colleges, Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. There are also opportunities to work with workers who have lost jobs due to the energy transition. These are extremely well-trained employees; people who understand the energy space and who could walk through the door on day one with expertise that will benefit entire teams. Link to Story >

Arizona’s Diverse Tech Ecosystem: Shaping the Future Across Sectors

The inclusive culture and robust resources across Arizona represent the ecosystem’s sustainable expansion and the positive impact on the communities served by Arizona State University and its many collaborators.

At the core of both ASU’s and Arizona’s tech success is a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. Programs like InclusionAZ by the Arizona Technology Council encourage tech employers across the state to adopt equitable and unbiased hiring practices. These efforts are not merely about expanding the diversity of the workforce but also creating an environment where innovation can thrive through varied perspectives and experiences. Link to story >

Tech Inclusion Forum | Unlocking the Power of Hybrid Work: Defining Value for Employee Satisfaction and Retention

A hot topic these days is what is the value of the hybrid work model? Some questions that were posed to the panelists included:

     •    Is hybrid work equitable to all employees or can it cause a divide between remote workers and those in the office?
     •    Does hybrid work harm team cohesion and collaboration because of lack of face-to-face interaction?
     •    Is it true hybrid work improves work-life balance and job satisfaction?
     •    How does hybrid work change company culture?
     •    Can hybrid work reduce your chance of getting a promotion? Link to story >

Wafer production underway at TSMC’s Phoenix factory

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is making “significant progress” on its north Phoenix site with engineering wafer production already underway in its first factory still under construction, the company said on an earnings call during Q2 of 2024.

C. Wei, TSMC’s chief executive, told analysts and investors on the earnings call the company began engineering wafer production for its N4 process technology in its first Arizona factory, or fab, earlier this month and is on track to begin volume production in the first half of 2025. Each of the company’s three fabs in Arizona will feature a clean room area that’s double the size of a typical logical fab, Wei said. The company’s Arizona fabs are expected to employ more than 6,000 workers, up from the 4,500 it initially anticipated. Link to story >

Amazon signs third major metro Phoenix lease in 2024

Retail giant Amazon has moved forward with its third major industrial deal in metro Phoenix this year. Amazon.com Inc. has fully leased a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse in Goodyear called Prologis 303 Business Park, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the deal. The new deal brings the total amount of space that Amazon has leased in the Phoenix area so far this year to nearly 3.5 million square feet across three large buildings — all in the West Valley. Amazon previously leased 1.2 million square feet at the Cubes at Glendale project near Luke Air Force base and more than 1 million square feet at the Paloma Vista Logistics Center in Buckeye for a new in-bound cross dock facility in the city. Link to story >

Addressing workforce needs: PVCC debuts Business Institute for community advancement

Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) has taken a bold step forward to align the demands of Arizona’s growing workforce with higher education. Data in the 2023 Lightcast Talent Attraction Scorecard ranked Maricopa County No. 1 nationally for adding skilled jobs and securing the second-highest position for competitiveness.

At the forefront of this effort is the Maricopa Business Institute (MBI) at PVCC, an integral component of PVCC’s workforce development initiatives. PVCC launched the MBI due to its strategic location in the Northeast Valley. Surrounded by a dynamic business ecosystem with major corporations, including USAA, American Express, TSMC, Honeywell, the Mayo Clinic, and HonorHealth, MBI creates opportunities for collaboration that foster an immersive learning environment for students. Link to story >

University of Arizona Center for Innovation startups selected for the flinn foundation bioscience entrepreneurship program

The University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) which serves as the science and technology startup incubator network of Tech Parks Arizona, is pleased to announce that three current UACI startups and one alum obtained four of six available opportunities statewide to participate in the exclusive Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program. Participation in the program opens doors to a wide range of resources, significantly accelerating the growth and development of the startups along their entrepreneurial journey.

The program provides $30,000 in non-dilutive funding support for up to six startups and a professionally developed yearlong plan specific to the individual companies’ needs that helps them advance to commercialization and become investor-ready.  Link to story >

South32 Announces $20 Million Department Of Defense Grant To Help Support Domestic Battery-Grade Manganese Production

South32’s Hermosa project, an advanced mining project in the United States capable of producing two federally designated critical minerals – zinc and manganese, announced today the award of US$20 million from the Department of Defense (DoD) under the Defense Production Act (DPA) battery grant program.
Awarded to help accelerate the domestic production of battery-grade manganese, the money will be matched with a US$43 million investment by South32 to fund activities to support access to the manganese deposit. Link to story >

Raytheon ramps up work on cutting-edge SPY-6 radars with $677M Navy deal

RTX’s Raytheon business has exercised its third option to continue its work on a massive U.S. Navy contract to build AN/SPY-6(V) radars.

The latest contract, awarded earlier this month, is worth $677 million and builds on a $651 million deal announced in April 2022 by the defense contractor’s Tucson-based missiles and defense operation. With all options exercised, the total value of the contract could reach $3.2 billion. That contract is one of several deals and modifications that Raytheon’s Tucson operation has been awarded recently. Link to story >