High school students in the J.O. Combs Unified School District may be able to earn a semester of free college credit aimed at jobs in Arizona's computer chip plants, under an agreement the district's governing board approved with Grand Canyon University.
The board signed off Nov. 4 on the university's Manufacturing Specialist Intensive, SanTanValley.com reported Saturday. The one-semester program has four four-credit courses covering workplace skills, writing and speaking, math and manufacturing basics. Students who complete it would receive 16 college credits, a certificate and digital badges recognized by the engineering group IEEE.
Grand Canyon University developed the course with TSMC Arizona. According to district agenda materials cited by SanTanValley.com, graduates can be considered for immediate hire at TSMC at $21 to $23 an hour. The agreement says completing the program does not guarantee a job, students are not required to work for TSMC, and the company is not a party to the deal.
Where and when
The district hopes to start the first group in spring 2027 at Apache Junction High School, mostly for seniors. Superintendent Toby Haugen told the board the plan is to begin small, with a goal of 20 students, at that campus because it has space, and that the district's main cost will be busing students about 15 minutes to Apache Junction.
He said students will, for now, need to turn 18 by graduation, and he hopes some classes can later move to Combs High School.
