Education & Training

Dr. Caron Daugherty

President

Mike Crouch

Vice President

Bruce Moses, Ed. D

President

Rebecca Bilderback

Dean

Melanie Wallace

Dean

FLINT HILLS TECHNICAL COLLEGE

ALLEN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE


KSMC is an emerging rural regional semiconductor manufacturing cluster recently formed as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between local government, higher education, and semiconductor component manufacturing partners. The formation of this entity creates the co-location of like-minded partners in a contiguous geographic area providing component manufacturing facilities, suppliers, and workforce development programs that share critical infrastructure, like equipment, space, and talent in ways that maximize efficiency.


The following entities are committed to providing support to KSMC:

 


Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce

Kim Randolph

President / CEO

Carlos Gomez

President / CEO

HEARTLAND BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE


The Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce is committed to building an economy that is diverse, resilient, and just. We reject the idea that there is only one path to economic success and embrace the idea that a range of businesses and industries can contribute to a thriving society. We believe that economic diversity is essential to creating a sustainable and equitable future, and we will work tirelessly to promote it. In the course of our American History we have exploited the talents and strengths of our black and brown citizens but now, in our advanced world, the development of a diverse workforce is critical for the success of our country’s initiative to mobilize a workforce in the semiconductor industry.

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City is the birthplace of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC. The Hispanic Chamber is the voice for small business in the Greater Kansas City metro. We represent business of all sizes across 8 counties in both Kansas and Missouri. We are dedicated to the creation advancement, promotion and development of economic opportunities within the Hispanic market and business community.

"We believe that economic diversity is essential to creating a sustainable and equitable future, and we will work tirelessly to promote it."

Meeting the Act’s intent of creating opportunities for the economically disadvantaged will remain a challenge. Despite decades of effort to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, minority workers still face significant barriers to entry and advancement into the semiconductor industry.


The Kansas Semiconductor Manufacturing Consortium located in Burlington, KS is pioneering an approach to grassroots workforce development by engaging the Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City as full partners.

KSMC has recognized that our minority chambers are better positioned to understand the challenges of the economically disadvantaged communities and can more effectively design programs that are tailored to the specific needs of these communities and help bridge the gap that often exists between these communities and the job market. 

 

As full partners, the two chambers will lead the mission of developing broad sectoral workforce development partnerships in the region and leading the consortium’s recruitment programs to address the needs of our economically disadvantage communities.


This step was taken by the Kansas Consortium in an attempt to finally leave behind the superficial, underwhelming, and performative attempts by companies to improve (or appear to improve) diversity, equity, and inclusion – and instead focus on making a true impact.

Envisioning a bright future.

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