Whoever came up with the “Five C’s” – Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus, and Climate – that drive Arizona’s economy likely couldn’t have predicted what would come next. But a savvy leader from the Greater Phoenix Economic Council did.

“It should be the sixth C,” Thomas Maynard, senior vice president of the powerhouse economic development organization, said.

Of course, he is referring to chips, as in semiconductor chips.

Arizona is at the center of the semiconductor boom, and Greater Phoenix is home to more than 75 companies that are producing chips that power everything from smartphones and computers to the Internet and artificial intelligence.

This is good news for the state’s economy, but it also presents a challenge: How do we fill these critical jobs of the future?

TSMC, which has been revolutionizing the semiconductor industry since its founding as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in 1987, is tackling this issue head-on through a comprehensive training program to prepare technicians and other workers for good-paying jobs in this burgeoning industry.

LEARN MORE: AZ Big Podcast: Rose Castanares of TSMC talks building a massive workforce

TSMC is investing $165 billion in Arizona – the largest foreign direct investment in U.S. history. A key reason that the company chose our state for its foray into the United States is the talent pipeline. That means investing not only in facilities and infrastructure, but also in people. We know that an educated workforce is a productive workforce.

Last fall, the eight original members of TSMC Arizona’s inaugural technician apprenticeship cohort earned their first credentials after completing on-the-job training while working full-time in the field. The program – a Registered Apprenticeship for the Semiconductor Industry – is a first-of-a-kind program launched in 2024 in partnership with the City of Phoenix and a host of educational institutions.

Since piloting the program with Estrella Mountain Community College, TSMC Arizona added new education partnerships with Maricopa Community Colleges, Rio Salado Community College, Grand Canyon University and Northern Arizona University. The program, aligned with industry standards, combines supervision, structure, on-the-job training, related technical instruction, and personal and professional development.

 We are recruiting for all of our 2026 apprentice cohorts, including a new manufacturing specialist course with Grand Canyon University and the City of Phoenix.

We are also filling the engineering pipeline with a 10-week summer intern program that has grown from 16 interns in 2023 to nearly 200 interns in 2025. Our most recent cohort represented 60 colleges nationwide, including student interns from Arizona State University studying engineering, materials science, construction management or business operations.

At TSMC Arizona, the future is bright. Our company employs more than 3,000 workers and is on a path to doubling that number at its three fabs, along with future expansion. If you are interested in joining this growing industry, let us know. Or if you know someone who would consider becoming a TSMC Arizona technician, encourage them to apply here.

Author: Christine Dotts is director of Public Relations at TSMC Arizona.