XENIA — Greene County Career Center students could benefit from Friday’s big announcement from Intel Corporation.
One of the leading global semiconductor manufacturers, Intel — along with Gov. Mike DeWine, JobsOhio, and other local, state and federal leaders — announced plans to invest more than $20 billion to build two state-of-the-art factories in Licking County in central Ohio by 2025.
The megaproject, which will be the largest single private sector company investment in Ohio’s history, will generate more than 20,000 jobs in the state, including 3,000 direct Intel jobs earning an average of $135,000 per year (plus benefits), 7,000 construction jobs during the course of the build, and tens of thousands of additional indirect and support jobs including contracted positions, electricians, engineers, and jobs in restaurants, healthcare, housing, entertainment, and more, according to a release from the state.
Career center students will likely be in the mix for some of those jobs.
“Career-tech schools like Greene County Career Center are poised to provide skilled workers for the new development,” said Ron Bolender, GCCC public information officer. “Locally, our career-tech pathways like advanced engineering systems, robotics and automation, cybersecurity, welding, and even our transportation programs develop graduates with the skills that companies like Intel find attractive. That doesn’t even include the job opportunities for graduates from our construction programs while Intel’s new facility is being built.”
The career center expanded programming for high school students in 2018 and built its new facility with a goal of developing students who were prepared for opportunities like this, Bolender added.
“The voters in Greene County deserve considerable credit for agreeing with our goal of developing the workforce,” he said.
The initial manufacturing facilities (known in the industry as FABs or foundries) will be located on a 926-acre site. But the impact will be statewide. More than 140 existing Ohio businesses across the state are already Intel suppliers, and the project is expected to bring additional new businesses to Ohio to support the supply chain. The success of these companies will create new jobs, fuel growth in other key Ohio industry sectors, and position Ohio at the center of America’s industrial innovation, according to state officials.
“Today’s announcement is monumental news for the state of Ohio,” DeWine said in a release. “Intel’s new facilities will be transformative for our state, creating thousands of good-paying jobs in Ohio manufacturing strategically vital semiconductors, often called ‘chips.’ Advanced manufacturing, research and development, and talent are part of Ohio’s DNA, and we are proud that chips — which power the future — will be made in Ohio, by Ohioans.”
The project is expected to add $2.8 billion to Ohio’s annual gross state product.
“We are excited to call Ohio home to Intel’s first new manufacturing site in 40 years,” said Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. “Today, we take an important step toward our goal to rebalance global chipmaking capacity and help boost production to meet the surging demand for advanced semiconductors, powering a new generation of innovative products. The new factories we’ll build in Ohio are part of our strategy to increase semiconductor R&D and global manufacturing capacity and restore U.S. semi manufacturing leadership. We expect Intel Ohio will become one of the largest semiconductor manufacturing sites in the world over the next decade.”
