U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with leaders of the region’s semiconductor industry on the campus of Normandale Community College Wednesday, June 28 to discuss opportunities to grow the semiconductor industry in Minnesota.
Joining Secretary Raimondo at the event was Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Normandale Community College Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs Kristina Keller, Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse, University of Minnesota Interim President Jeff Ettinger, and GREATER MSP President and CEO Peter Frosch, along with leaders from semiconductor industry, labor and trades, and workforce development.
The roundtable discussion included members of the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition, which was formed by GREATER MSP in late 2022 after the passing of the $52 billion federal CHIPS and Science Act. Normandale is part of this coalition that is comprised of more than 35 organizations, including manufacturers, supply-chain partners, education and training providers, labor organizations, and state and local governments.
Keller shared the many ways Normandale has and can partner with local industry, colleges and universities, community organizations, and K-12 to provide opportunities and pipelines to a variety of learners. She also discussed the capacity that Normandale had with 17,000 learners (credit and Continuing Education) and Minnesota has with approximately 300,000 students in the system.
Grace Jarvis, who is a Normandale alum that is currently interning at Polar Semiconductor, was also part of the roundtable and talked about her current educational path and what drew her to working in her current internship in the semiconductor field.
About the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition
Minnesota’s semiconductor industry ecosystem has come together around the funding opportunity created by the federal CHIPS and Science Act. The Minnesota CHIPS Coalition is a statewide coalition of more than 35 organizations, including manufacturers and supply chain partners, education and training providers, trades, and state and local government. We have a vision for Minnesota’s semiconductor industry to be a top-10 national hub and leader in the Midwest for semiconductor learning, development, and manufacturing.
About the GREATER MSP Partnership
GREATER MSP is the economic development partnership for the 15-county Minneapolis Saint Paul region. More than 300 leading businesses, universities, cities, counties, philanthropies, and others are working together to accelerate the competitiveness of the regional economy and drive inclusive economic growth by creating jobs, expanding our labor force, and increasing investment. For more information go to greatermsp.org.
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