As Micron builds the future of semiconductor manufacturing in Boise, another construction project is happening a few miles away without cranes or concrete.
Boise State is building a workforce to fill it.
Micron plans to operate two leading-edge semiconductor fabrication facilities in Idaho, with production from its first new Boise fab scheduled to begin in 2027. The facilities are expected to create more than 17,000 direct, construction and indirect jobs, dramatically increasing the region’s need for experienced semiconductors and microelectronics workers.
On Aug. 24 Micron opened a 60,000-square-foot training center near its Boise campus, designed to prepare new hires, apprentices and students for semiconductor manufacturing careers.
The facility can house up to 20 semiconductor process tools, giving trainees hands-on experience in an environment designed to replicate the equipment and conditions of a working fab. The center will also host portions of College of Western Idaho’s semiconductor and advanced mechatronics programs and Micron’s registered apprenticeship training.
The challenge for Boise State is about producing enough engineers and other specialized graduates to keep pace with the industry’s growth.
“The semiconductor industry as a whole is expanding faster than we can produce graduates,” College of Engineering Dean Amy Fleischer said. “There’s just a shortfall of graduates in that area, but our enrollment in the College of Engineering has been growing significantly over the past five years. We’re up about 30%, so we’re doing everything we can to scale to meet the needs that Micron has.”
The connection between the university and Micron began decades before the company’s latest expansion.
Fleischer said Micron’s founders advocated for the creation of Boise State’s College of Engineering in the 1990’s, and their partnership continued through research, academic programs and facilities including the Micron Engineering Center and Micron Center for Materials Research.
“We already have around 2,000 alumni working there, so it’s incredibly realistic that we will fill a large proportion of those jobs,” Fleischer said. “We can take Idaho kids, we can educate them, and then they can get good jobs and stay right here.”
Since 2023, the university’s Microelectronics Education and Research Center has enhanced semiconductor learning opportunities for more than 3,000 students and reached more than 25,000 K-12 students across Idaho. Boise State was also selected in June to lead a nine-state semiconductor workforce network involving more than 20 universities and nine community colleges.
The university was chosen because of its growing microelectronics programs and MERC’s role in expanding semiconductor education and workforce training across Idaho.
Kurtis Cantley, director of the Microelectronics Education and Research Center, said semiconductor material found its way into courses ranging from supply chain and information technology to education. Students seeking more specialized experience can pursue clean-room fabrication, integrated circuit design, research, internships and semiconductor-focused certificates.
Semiconductor companies need more than engineers. Cantley said the industry also relies on workers in chemistry, physics, computer science, mechanical engineering, supply chain and other fields.
“The universities work really closely together here in the state of Idaho to try to fill those jobs with Idahoans. But the reality is, there’s so many jobs, there’s not enough Idahoans,” Cantley said.
Students can also gain semiconductor experience outside Idaho through programs.
Fleischer pointed to the UPWARDS program, a partnership connecting U.S. and Japanese universities that provides students opportunities to participate in semiconductor research and summer programs in Japan.
Boise State’s growing semiconductor ecosystem has already provided a pathway into the industry for electrical engineering students like Camden Webster
Webster said his first attempts to land an internship were unsuccessful but research experience, extracurricular involvement and connections through semiconductor events eventually helped him secure an internship with Micron.
“I felt like I wasn’t truly prepared at all during my sophomore year at Boise State,” Webster said. “As I jumped into my junior year, which usually is the hardest jump, surprisingly, I would say around that year is when all my classes actually made sense and all connected.”
Webster worked in the university’s research laboratories and became involved with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a professional organization for electrical and electronics engineers. He said career fairs and seminars also gave him opportunities to meet people already working in the industry.
Boise State is now looking beyond state lines through the Pacific-Intermountain Network for Education in Semiconductors, a federally funded regional initiative that connects schools, colleges and industry partners to expand semiconductor education and workforce training across nine Western states.
“You don’t build a five or $10 billion fab and then just abandon it after a few years. It sticks around,” Cantley said. “So those fabs are going to be there, providing jobs from technician level up through Ph.D. engineers for decades, and that’s a really cool opportunity.”
And for students, Webster put it simply, “Get out there. Do a little bit more than you think. You feel like you already have no time to begin with, and that’s the scary part. You’re gonna realize you actually have more time than you thought.”
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As a junior studying Electrical Engineering at Boise State University and pursuing a future career with Micron, I agree that those extra activities and events are really important to improving your skills and building your resume, while also connecting with other students and faculty. The IEEE seminars are often packed with useful information and are great to attend.