CAEL to Lead Partnership Helping Underrepresented Talent Discover and Access Semiconductor Careers and Advance Within Industry

Multimedia awareness campaign, interactive platform to educate and empower women and minority candidates for career advancement in critical industry

INDIANAPOLIS – The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) is pleased to announce a partnership with fellow Strada Education Network affiliate Roadtrip Nation to support the talent development aspirations of SEMI, the industry association representing the global electronics manufacturing and design supply chain. The two-phase project will improve diversity and equity within key STEM professions by driving awareness of growing workforce needs and opportunities for career advancement within the microelectronics industry. Phase one is made possible by funding from the SEMI Foundation and Strada Education Network. 

CAEL’s role will be to map STEM career pathways and develop an interactive platform that increases interest and awareness of the industry and the learning opportunities that enable advancement within it, particularly among women and minority populations. The platform will support SEMI Foundation’s Global Workforce Development Initiative, which aims to connect a diverse cohort of potential employees to available jobs today, while also addressing long-term industry talent pipeline issues with a racial, gender, and social justice lens. 

Roadtrip Nation will support the project by producing video content that showcases the stories of semiconductor industry professionals. This engaging content will increase awareness of the semiconductor industry and feature relatable role models of populations traditionally underrepresented in the industry, including women, people of color, and veterans. Through viewing these stories, platform users will be able to better envision themselves entering and succeeding in the semiconductor industry. 

CAEL will design the platform to provide approachable job descriptions; sample career pathways; job matches aligned with interests, skills, experiences, and education level; clear action steps for users; and connections to mentors and other industry news and resources. CAEL will collaborate with stakeholders throughout the industry during the platform’s buildout to ensure that the integration of industry pathways, competencies, and education and training opportunities is complete and accurate. 

“Our nation’s prosperity begins with an inclusive approach that empowers more people to navigate lifelong learning and career pathways,” said Beth Doyle, Ed.D. and senior vice president of initiatives, solutions, and operations for CAEL. “We are excited to help more underrepresented workers and learners see themselves in positions of influence in the future of work, and the microelectronics industry is a critical part of that future.”

“At Roadtrip Nation, we’re all about fostering connections and encouraging equity, inclusion, and opportunity,” said Mike Marriner, president of Roadtrip Nation. “We’re so excited to have the opportunity to show how inspiring people are making strides in this essential industry, and we hope we can motivate more people who are underrepresented in this field to join and be a part of shaping its future.”

“Although the microelectronics industry improves and touches our lives in countless ways, the rewarding careers within the industry are largely invisible,” said Shari Liss, executive director of the SEMI Foundation. “We need to create more visibility for these amazing companies and careers across a larger, more inclusive group of people if we want our communities and economy to thrive. This partnership is a step in that direction and will help us welcome more underrepresented candidates – women, veterans, and people of color – to pursue careers and leadership in this critical industry.”

While seamless technology will mark the user experience on the front end, the platform’s foundation will be continuous engagement with SEMI’s global network, which connects more than 2,400 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide. Their comprehensive input will ensure the solution opens doors of opportunity for underrepresented communities and meets the industry’s growing and evolving needs in talent recruitment, career pathing, and skills advancement. 

CAEL will design the architecture and user experience for the platform by this summer. The second phase should follow soon after, with a full rollout of the platform expected in early 2022.

About CAEL
Recognizing that adult learners are the backbone of the U.S. economy, CAEL helps forge a clear, viable connection between education and career success, providing solutions that promote sustainable and equitable economic growth. CAEL opens doors to opportunity in collaboration with workforce and economic developers; postsecondary educators; employers and industry groups; and foundations and other mission-aligned organizations. By engaging with these stakeholders, we foster a culture of innovative, lifelong learning that helps individuals and their communities thrive. Established in 1974, CAEL, a Strada Education Network affiliate, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership organization. Visit cael.org to learn more.

About Roadtrip Nation
Roadtrip Nation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that humanizes career exploration through story and empowers individuals to connect their interests to fulfilling lives and careers. Through its award-winning public television series, New York Times bestselling book “Roadmap,” and educational programs and tools that provide visibility and insights into career possibilities and pathways, Roadtrip Nation gives people from all backgrounds confidence and belief in their ability to persist through challenges and define success for themselves. Roadtrip Nation has been showcased at the United Nations Social Innovation Summit, Clinton Global Initiative, NBC Education Nation, TEDx, Talks at Google, SXSW, and the Harvard Social Enterprise Forum. For more information, visit roadtripnation.com.

About Strada Education Network
Strada Education Network is a new kind of nonprofit social impact organization dedicated to improving lives by forging clearer and more purposeful pathways between education and employment. Strada’s approach combines innovative research, thought leadership, strategic philanthropy, mission-aligned investments, and a network of affiliate organizations. Together, they work to better serve millions of individuals in the United States seeking to complete postsecondary education and training, gain clear value from those experiences, and build meaningful careers. Learn more at stradaeducation.org.