What will happen to the more than 9,000 individuals enrolled in Natcast-funded semiconductor workforce training programs now that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has voided Natcast’s agreement and directed the National Institute of Standards and Technology to take over operations?

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What will happen to the more than 9,000 individuals enrolled in Natcast-funded semiconductor workforce training programs now that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has voided Natcast’s agreement and directed the National Institute of Standards and Technology to take over operations?

Accepted Answer

The CHIPS Act allocated roughly $11 billion for semiconductor research and workforce development, including training programs that Natcast was operating. When Lutnick transferred control to NIST on August 25, 2025, these workforce initiatives—like the National Network for Microelectronics Education partnerships with community colleges—continued without interruption under direct federal management. NIST already runs similar technical training through its Manufacturing Extension Partnership, so it absorbed Natcast's workforce programs into existing infrastructure (NIST press release, Aug. 25, 2025; NSF CHIPS workforce announcement, Sept. 27, 2024).

What will happen to the more than 9,000 individuals enrolled in Natcast-funded semiconductor workforce training programs now that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has voided Natcast’s agreement and directed the National Institute of Standards and Technology to take over operations?

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