research on semiconductor design and
manufacturing, according to Intel.
The two planned factories on a 1,000-acre
site in Licking County, just east of Columbus,
are expected to create 3,000 company jobs
— many of them highly skilled — and 7,
construction jobs.
Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger has said he expects
the Ohio site will also supply specialized
chips for cars — a priority for U.S. consumers
and officials — and other products such as
mobile devices.
About 40% of those 3,000 jobs will involve
people with associate’s degrees taking
technicians’ jobs to run the operation, Keyvan
Esfarjani, Intel’s manufacturing, supply chain
and operations executive vice president, said
Thursday. People filling the remaining jobs will
have degrees from a bachelor’s up to a PhD,
Esfarjani said.
The company is also committed to hiring as
diverse a workforce as possible, he said.
Boosting STEM education is key to future job
growth, said Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. Not only do
they pay more, “they’re more secure because
so much of the economy is going to be built
around STEM jobs,” he said.