UC Berkeley will lead a new effort to train Bay Area high school and community college students for jobs in the quantum industry.
The California Workforce Development Board awarded $5.7 million to five quantum and fusion workforce projects, according to UC Berkeley's research office. UC Berkeley's share is about $1 million; The Daily Californian put the exact figure at about $1.03 million. The money comes from the state's Workforce Accelerator Fund 14 grant program.
Why it matters
"Currently, most quantum training programs are directed toward researchers and engineers at the bachelor's and graduate levels, so there is an employment opportunity gap at the high school and associate's levels," Claire Cramer, executive director of Berkeley Quantum and the project's leader, told The Daily Californian. She said those jobs could include technicians who install and maintain advanced equipment.
Cramer said, citing GO-Biz data, that California has more than twice as many quantum job postings as the next state, and half of those jobs are in the Bay Area.
Who's involved
Partners include San Jose State University, Berkeley City College, Foothill College and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Daily Californian also listed the Berkeley Unified School District and "Alameda County Unified School District." Early employer partners include Quantum Machines, IonQ, IBM, Google, Conductor Quantum and PsiQuantum. UC Berkeley said the Bay Area Council and Silicon Valley Leadership Group will coordinate employer engagement.
The pilot plans an eight- to 13-week training program. Students who qualify will earn employer-verified certifications for technical skills. UC Berkeley's CalTeach program will develop the high school curriculum.
Timeline
The Daily Californian reported that development and pilot testing will take place in 2027 and 2028. New quantum courses will be submitted for approval in 2028 for the 2029-30 school year. The implementation plan is due by March 2029, when the grant ends.