Catalyst Award

The Catalyst Award is given to a company making significant social or environmental impact; this award recognizes outstanding programs supporting equity, diversity and inclusion, community outreach and education, or environmental impact.

2024 Winner

Intel Corporation 

Innovative and Inclusive Semiconductor Workforce Development Programs: QuickStart and Returnships

Intel’s inclusive workforce development programs welcome those that take a career break or show capability after two weeks of accelerated training.

Addressing expected workforce shortfalls and in partnership with local community colleges, workforce, and community groups, QuickStart, a unique 40-hour, hands-on training program with wrap-around services was created. Classes are taught at local community colleges. Once students successfully complete it, they are eligible to interview for entry-level manufacturing positions. The program has goals of recruiting and training individuals including, in part, those who have been historically underrepresented in the technology industry: women, people of color, and rural residents. In addition, a program was created specifically for enabling experienced individuals with a voluntary career break to return to the workforce via specific openings for those “returning.” 

intel.com

SPIE CATALYST AWARD FINALISTS

Ball Aerospace: GEMS (Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer) and TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution)

Intel Corporation: Innovative and Inclusive Semiconductor Workforce Development Programs: QuickStart and Returnships

Thorlabs, Inc.: Thorlabs Mobile Photonics Lab Experience

More about the 2024 winner and finalists:  SPIE Catalyst Award finalists Intel, Thorlabs, and Ball Aerospace showcase EDI, outreach, sustainability programs