For three years, Ethan Mock worked part-time at a gym to make ends meet while taking on more than $100,000 in debt to pursue a degree in business administration

Earlier this year — his fifth and final at Northern Arizona University — he began looking beyond his major for a stable career. So in July, when he learned over the radio about a tuition-free, three-month semiconductor crash course at Rio Salado College, he signed up immediately, despite having no background in the field. The draw: the community college's new program offered students a chance to interview with major chipmakers in Arizona.