The California Workforce Development Board is allocating $1 million to UC Berkeley to address a critical skills gap in the rapidly expanding quantum industry. While the Bay Area boasts a strong quantum sector, training has largely focused on four-year degrees, limiting access to technician roles typically filled by local hires.
This funding will establish curriculum at the high school and community college levels and develop an industry-verified credential program to meet employer needs. Claire Cramer, the executive director of Berkeley Quantum and the project’s leader, said, “I’m excited about this project because we have the opportunity to get quantum education right.”
Berkeley Leads $5.7M Quantum & Fusion Workforce Initiative
California’s quantum sector currently lists more than twice the number of job openings as any other state, with half of those positions concentrated in the Bay Area, according to data compiled by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). This demand prompted the California Workforce Development Board to allocate $5.7 million to five projects, including a $1 million investment in an initiative designed to expand quantum training beyond traditional four-year degrees. Cramer said, “By leveraging Berkeley’s global leadership in quantum science and the pedagogical expertise of our partners, we will create a sustainable ecosystem of learning that will serve the Bay Area for decades.”
We have made great headway in engaging both the California state government and local commercial sector partners in advancing the emerging field of quantum information.
Steven Kahn, UC Berkeley’s dean of mathematical and physical sciences
Bay Area Pipeline Addresses Quantum Technician Skill Gaps
The new initiative extends beyond traditional academic pathways by prioritizing the development of an industry-verified credential program. Employer engagement is being coordinated by the Bay Area Council and Silicon Valley Leadership Group, ensuring that training aligns with current and projected workforce needs. the Alameda County Workforce Development Board will connect project activities to jobseekers facing barriers to employment. Governor Gavin Newsom met with students in Dan Stamper-Kurn’s lab in 2025. She added, “It’s difficult to underestimate the impact of a Bay Area training pipeline.”
By bringing together employers, educators, and workforce partners, these investments will help address key barriers to growth, strengthen California’s workforce, and create new opportunities for Californians.
Kaina Pereira, the California Workforce Development Board’s executive director
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