Workforce Powerhouse
Workforce By the Numbers
Top 3 greatest concentration of semiconductor employment in the U.S.
About 15% of the nation’s semiconductor workforce lives in Oregon, while the state only has about 1.3% of the U.S. population
27.9 times the national average concentration of semiconductor processing technicians
12.5 times the national average concentration of computer hardware engineers
4 times the national average concentration of industrial processing technicians
More than 26,000 engineers associated with the industry
37 times the semiconductor workforce concentration than the national average
The Silicon Forest Partnership Workforce
1 = U.S. AVERAGE
Location quotient is the concentration of jobs compared to the U.S. average. 1 = U.S. average and 2 = 200% of U.S. average
Workforce Powerhouse
Already home to a highly skilled workforce within advanced manufacturing, the Silicon Forest continues to pioneer novel workforce development programs and initiatives through collaboration between industry, academia, community-based organizations, and government.
Recreating Workforce Systems
Through the mobilization of existing partnerships, the Silicon Forest is building capacity and recreating workforce systems to be people centered. This includes providing better access to training and education for all community members including those who have historically been marginalized.
Best-In-Class Training Programs
Programs include youth and adult apprenticeship programs, low-barrier tech training programs with community college partners, and best-in-class higher ed research and degree programs.
Meeting Industry Growth Needs
Hillsboro has grown its computer and electronics manufacturing workforce by 12% in the last five years, demonstrating an ability to scale to meet industry growth needs.
Workforce Development Programs:
Portland Community College Career Technical Education (CTE)
Centro de Prosperidad (a partnership with Centro Cultural upskilling workforce)
Quick Start, a 10-day semiconductor technician training program in collaboration with Portland Community College, Worksystems Inc, and Intel.
