Liccardo said working together, education and industry leaders can prepare students for the AI workforce sector and retrain adult workers in the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do have a future in an AI-empowered economy. By investing in people, we enable our workers \u2026 through this time of enormous technological transition<\/a>,\u201d Liccardo said. \u201cNVIDIA is hiring 3,000 software engineers. We know jobs are being created. We just need to make sure people are ready for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Liccardo said the bill offers incentives for companies to invest in community colleges and state universities<\/a> and offer\u00a0internships to build a pipeline and curricula critical for next generation jobs.<\/p>\n Tax credits for businesses will be based on students completing programs within two years or less, he said, adding the backend of the tax credit is for hiring those students. Employers would receive a $2,500 credit for each student who completes this program, and an additional $2,500 for each graduate they hire.<\/p>\n \u201cThe SKILL Act turns disruption into opportunity,\u201d Liccardo said. \u201cCompanies can build their workforce, and more Americans find a path to better jobs \u2014 and an economic future \u2014 in an AI-driven economy.\u201d<\/p>\n Bradley Davis, chancellor of the West Valley-Mission Community College District, said the legislation rewards employers who partner with the district to help design its curriculum, open labs, fund apprenticeships and hire the graduates from these programs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt channels that investment into two-year programs at public community colleges, where it reaches students who need it the most,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n Liccardo focused on the West Valley-Mission Community College District because of his prior relationship with Davis while Liccardo was mayor of San Jose. The two had worked on various private-public partnerships to enable the college to develop programs that would connect students to careers.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not something we can say about every institution everywhere,\u201d Liccardo told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWe\u2019ve got lots of great schools around here, but not all in our district. And the fact that we were able to identify both companies and students (means it can work).\u201d<\/p>\n Louis Stewart, head of ecosystem development at NVIDIA, said students, faculty and institutions need to be prepared to use AI.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re not helping to train the best of the best, then I think we\u2019re falling short on our responsibility,\u201d Stewart told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWe have several programs at NVIDIA, including our internship program, and we\u2019re willing to work with students along their journey and make sure they\u2019re hirable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n West Valley College was recently awarded a $3.9 million federal grant to build a new semiconductor certificate program. Mission College is piloting a new AI workforce program with Intel and has created an AI certificate program through its partnership with NVIDIA.<\/p>\n Melvin Vaughn, dean of the School of Science and Math at West Valley College, said these programs provide students with economic mobility.<\/p>\n \u201cSome just want to put food on the table. They just want to support their family,\u201d Vaughn told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cWith this program they can receive a certificate within 15-16 weeks and be making $91,000 to start.\u201d<\/p>\n Student Gabriel Huerta found a job working as an instrumentation and control technician at Valley Water after taking Mission College\u2019s mechatronic technology program.<\/p>\n \u201cThat decision completely changed my career trajectory,\u201d he told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cThis legislation will encourage more employers to invest in workforce development and partner with community colleges to hire graduates just like me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PXL_20260622_203505667-1024x771.jpg\")
Rep. Sam Liccardo (center) discusses private-public partnerships to develop AI students skills. (From right) Melvin Vaughn, dean of the School of Science and Math, Louis Stewart of NVIDIA and Chancellor Bradley Davis. Photo by Lorraine Gabbert.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PXL_20260622_203744100-1024x771.jpg\")
Melvin Vaughn, West Valley College dean of the School of Science and Math, watches as students hone their coding skills in an AI lab. Photo by Lorraine Gabbert.<\/p>\n
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