AUSTIN, Texas —
The Austin Independent School District (AISD) is set to discuss a potential partnership with a semiconductor chip manufacturing company to bring job programs for students at a meeting Thursday.
This program would be one of the Chapter 313 agreements in Central Texas, and it's mutually beneficial for the school district and the manufacturing company. The partnership would be between AISD and NXP, which has a large presence in Austin.
This proposed agreement between the two entities would allow students to be trained on building chips and learning skills that give them experience going into the workforce. Additionally, NXP receives tax breaks on its facilities for teaching students.
The partnership and funding for the Chapter 313 program was possible due to the Chips for America Act. Recently re-elected Texas Congressman Michael McCaul has pushed for continued production of chips within the U.S.
"Currently the global market, which is very vulnerable to China right now, so that is a serious threat if China were to invade or someway compromise those chips," explained McCaul. "That's why it's so important we make those chips here in the United States."
The chips created at manufacturing companies are implemented in most modern technologies, including phones, fighter jets and check-out machines in grocery stores. NXP already has shared two applications to increase their footprint within Austin.
The Chips Act supports the development of programs like the Chapter 313 agreement and partnership NXP currently has with Austin Community College, where students can get an associates degree in manufacturing.
The AISD Board of Trustees will discuss the partnership at their meeting on Nov. 10 and could vote on it as early as either their Nov. 17 or Dec. 15 regular meetings.
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