MALTA, N.Y., June 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GlobalFoundries announced today a commitment to the U.S. Department of Commerce's CHIPS Women in Construction Framework, a set of five best practices intended to increase representation of women and economically disadvantaged individuals in the construction workforce. The Framework is part of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo's ongoing Million Women in Construction initiative that aims to expand the American construction workforce by doubling the number of women in construction over the next decade. GF Chief People Officer Pradheepa Raman announced the company's commitment at the "CHIPS Women in Construction Roundtable" event at the White House.
In voluntarily committing to the Framework, GF is agreeing to work with contractors, trade unions, and other community and workforce partners to implement best practices that will expand the construction workforce by increasing the participation of women and economically disadvantaged individuals. These recruitment and retention best practices will help support on-time and successful completion of CHIPS program-funded projects.
"At GlobalFoundries, we celebrate our diversity and are steadfast in our commitment to shaping the future of the semiconductor industry. Every day, our talented team is pushing the boundaries of innovation to shape essential technologies that are making the world a better place," Raman said. "We applaud the leadership of Secretary Raimondo in taking action to diversify our nation's workforce. GlobalFoundries is proud to commit to the Department of Commerce's CHIPS Women in Construction Framework. A more diverse construction workforce benefits all of us, strengthening our industry and our communities."
The five best practices GF is committing to adopt are:
- Set goals and monitor progress towards increasing the participation of women on CHIPS-funded construction projects.
- Build community partnerships with community organizations with a track record of increasing women and economically disadvantaged individuals' exposure to and recruitment into the construction industry.
- Develop training pathways such as training investments, apprentice utilization goals, or apprentice readiness program partnerships that serve women and economically disadvantaged individuals.
- Provide access to supportive services such as child care or transportation that will increase retention of women and economically disadvantaged individuals in the workforce.
- Maintain healthy, safe, and respectful workplaces and prevent and address harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and violence through workplace training, policy and practice.
In the coming months, GF will work with the CHIPS Program Office (CPO), the Department of Commerce, and collaborate with local partners, such as contractors, trades unions and community-based organizations to develop and implement activities carrying out the best practices.
GF's support of CHIPS Women in Construction framework is the company's latest effort to support workplace diversity and build a critical talent pipeline for the current and future workforce. In May, GF announced a partnership with Micron Technology and the U.S. National Science Foundation to invest in workforce development at Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) to help meet the growing workforce needs of the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem and help develop the next generation of talent for the industry.
In November 2023, GF announced a new student loan repayment program to help U.S.-based employees and eligible new recruits pay up to $28,500 in student loan debt, tax-free, to help ease the financial burden of higher education and training. GF also offers tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees, fully paid parental leave, employee fitness stipend to promote good health and childcare subsidy towards dependent care. GF's first-of-its-kind apprenticeship program provides opportunities for individuals with no prior experience or training in the semiconductor industry, offering full-time paid positions and cost-free college courses to high school graduates.
GF has established strategic partnerships nationwide with top universities and strong regional engagements with community colleges in New York and Vermont as well as access to worldwide talent through its global footprint to help build a diverse workforce and semiconductor talent pipeline. To help inspire younger children, GF has a robust STEM outreach program to engage with regional middle schools and high schools, including Early College High School and Career and Technical Education programs, to bring industry awareness and hands-on experiences to students.
About GF
GlobalFoundries (GF) is one of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers. GF is redefining innovation and semiconductor manufacturing by developing and delivering feature-rich process technology solutions that provide leadership performance in pervasive high growth markets. GF offers a unique mix of design, development, and fabrication services. With a talented and diverse workforce and an at-scale manufacturing footprint spanning the U.S., Europe and Asia, GF is a trusted technology source to its worldwide customers. For more information, visit www.gf.com.
©GlobalFoundries Inc., GF, GlobalFoundries, the GF logos and other GF marks are trademarks of GlobalFoundries Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-looking Information
This news release may contain forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. GF undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect actual outcomes, unless required by law.
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