Power Your Future
Workforce Development is the UAPG’s initiative to train, educate, and empower, tomorrow’s engineers and technology professionals by providing opportunities to gain hands-on-experience and lower barriers of entry into the power and energy field.
How Do We Do That?
By training the next generation of semiconductor technicians, and you don’t need a college degree to be part of it!
Building Arkansas's Future Electronics Workforce
The University of Arkansas Power Group (UAPG) is strengthening Arkansas’s electronics manufacturing workforce through a $1 million investment from the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE) HIRED Grant. Developed in collaboration with Arkansas employers, UAPG’s workforce development programs provide accessible, industry-aligned training in semiconductor manufacturing, electronics assembly and packaging, and test and measurement operations.
Through a series of free online courses, Arkansas high school students, college students, incumbent workers, and adult learners can gain the knowledge and skills needed to enter or advance in the electronics and semiconductor industries. Available courses support workforce entry, employee upskilling, and employer workforce development initiatives across the state.
The upcoming Semiconductor Fundamentals course introduces learners to the semiconductor manufacturing process, from raw materials to integrated circuits, helping prepare the next generation of talent for careers in Arkansas’s growing technology and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Free Courses include:
Semiconductors
A semiconductor is a material that can both conduct and control electricity. Engineers use semiconductors to create computer chips that help devices think, communicate, and perform tasks. These chips are created in a semiconductor fab (short for fabrication facility). Fabs use advanced equipment and skilled teams to turn tiny designs into real technology.
Assembly & Packaging
This is the stage where semiconductor chips are prepared to be used in real products like phones. After a chip is created on a silicon wafer, it is carefully cut out, connected to metal pins or tiny wires, and sealed inside a protective case. This package keeps the chip safe from damage, helps remove heat, and allows it to communicate with other parts of an electronic device.
Test & Measurement
This is the stage where engineers check that electronic devices and systems work correctly and reliably. Using specialized tools, they measure things like voltage, current, speed, and temperature to make sure parts are safe, accurate, and performing as expected.
We are launching three new industry-aligned virtual courses for Arkansas students and educators. These online programs are led by experts and designed to prepare students for careers in the electronics field, providing each student with an IEEE micro-credential upon completion. Tuition is free for Arkansans in 11th or 12th grade, as well as adults.
Hands-On Training Across Arkansas
Our Mobile Electronics Lab will deliver in-person lab experiences to cities statewide, making practical learning more accessible than ever.
Interested?
If you would like for us to present to your students and teachers, please scan the QR code or click the link to fill out this brief survey. It will help us understand district interests, readiness, and opportunities for collaboration. Responses will directly inform program design, pilot selection, and future funding efforts.
Want to learn more?
Contact Shawn Bell at seb010@uark.edu to schedule
an information presentation for your students!
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