Lone Star College System connects students to growing data center, advanced manufacturing industries

HOUSTON, TX -- Between a recent tour of Hon Hai Technology Group (“Foxconn”) and celebrating the opening of Apple’s new Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC), Lone Star College System leaders are paving the way for students and graduates to have career opportunities in the growing technology industry.

“Lone Star College System is committed to establishing strong community and business partnerships with employers like Apple and Foxconn that create meaningful career pathways for our students while helping meet the workforce needs of our growing region,” said Mario K. Castillo, J.D., LSCS chancellor.

During an Aug. 10 tour of Foxconn’s facility near LSC-Houston North Fallbrook, LSCS administrators learned more about the company’s data center infrastructure operations and its growing need for local talent. Foxconn is the world’s leading consumer electronics manufacturer and solutions provider and has called Houston home for nearly 30 years. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Foxconn employs thousands of people in the Houston area, where the company primarily manufactures data servers.

Through its partnership with LSCS, Foxconn is recruiting students for internships and full-time positions as its Houston-area operations expand.

Foxconn has five campuses and 11 facilities in the Houston area and is preparing to meet growing demand for AI and data center hardware. Through its partnership with LSCS, the company is seeking engineering and related-field students for internships and full-time positions in digitalization and improvement, data visualization and analysis, software engineering, supply chain, and human resources.

LSCS officials also attended the grand opening of Apple’s new AMC on Aug. 14, where Apple CEO Tim Cook, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and local elected officials celebrated innovation and investment in the local workforce.

This 20,000-square-foot facility will host free sessions for small and medium-sized businesses, such as Manufacturing Principles for Final Assembly, Printed Circuit Board Assembly Design for Manufacturing and Smart Quality with Automated Optical Inspection. This education will empower entrepreneurs, workers, and students to accelerate smart manufacturing by providing hands-on experience with cutting-edge equipment in interactive labs.

“We want to build more than great products,” Cook said. “We want to build a future of American manufacturing, which means, among many things, that we need to equip the next generation of American workers with the skills that building the world’s most advanced technologies demands.”

The training site is the second of its kind in the United States and is located in the same manufacturing facility that builds and ships Apple’s advanced AI servers and will begin manufacturing the Mac mini later this year.

"The new training site brings an incredible opportunity for our students to learn the same innovative processes Apple uses to make its products," said Iesheia Wilson, LSCS Board of Trustees secretary. "Companies like Apple and Foxconn are leading the way in strengthening the technology sector, and Lone Star College System is excited to have our students play a part in that right here at home."

Foxconn will welcome an LSCS student internship cohort in September, giving 10 students hands-on experience with automation equipment, AI servers, data hardware and other technologies. The experience will allow students to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world environment while developing skills for careers in the growing data center and technology industries.

“Foxconn strives to hire local employees in response to market demand, seeking individuals with classroom knowledge who are ready to learn and grow in a fast-paced industry,” said Robert Schlaeger, Head of U.S. Region Public and Government Affairs, Hon Hai USA. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the college as we work together to develop academic and workforce programs that will build stronger employees, strengthen our local workforce and contribute to a stronger Houston community.”

LSCS launched its Industry Partnerships and Career Advancement department in fall 2025. Its first major event was a job fair with Foxconn that brought more than 100 students together with Foxconn recruiters to explore employment, internships and potential workforce training opportunities.

“Lone Star College System is proud to work with Foxconn, which continues to post new internship opportunities through Handshake,” said Chantell Link, Ph.D., LSCS chief, Industry Partnerships and Career Advancement. “We look forward to continuing this engagement and expanding career pathways for our students.”

Currently, nearly 50 students have applied for Foxconn internship opportunities through Handshake, a career platform that connects students with employers. Learn more about Lone Star College System’s Industry Partnerships and Career Advancement and how employers can connect with students and graduates at LoneStar.edu/Industry-Partnerships.

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