SEMI, the industry association for the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, and the American Semiconductor Academy (ASA) Initiative, have joined forces on a workforce development program to help close the microelectronics industry’s widening talent gap. ASA is a collaborative national education network of faculty at universities and colleges across the US who are engaged in semiconductor research and education. According to the two organisations, the new partnership will “bolster workforce education and training programs nationwide, targeting job skills, academic degrees and continuing education to grow and diversify the talent pool for the industry as well as to accelerate scientific innovation and technology commercialization”.
“With the semiconductor industry investing heavily to expand manufacturing capacity and design capabilities to keep pace with chip demand, the microelectronics industry is facing a shortage of talent that threatens to severely limit future growth and innovation,” said Ajit Manocha, SEMI president and CEO. “The partnership between the ASA Initiative and SEMI will unite key university educators with leading semiconductor industry visionaries to strengthen the entire talent development pipeline – from K-12 STEM and higher education through career training and the integration of military veterans into the workforce. This partnership is well timed with the America COMPETES Act of 2022 pending in the House and the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act passed by the Senate promising to inject significant funding into efforts to equip workers with the skills needed in today’s semiconductor industry.”
“The ASA planning team is excited to partner with SEMI to address the tremendous workforce development needs of the U.S. semiconductor industry and the new microelectronics ecosystem, which spans all STEM disciplines and education levels from trade school to graduate school across the country,” said Tsu-Jae King Liu, Dean of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and Chair of the Executive Committee for the ASA Initiative. “The holistic workforce development programs of SEMI and the SEMI Foundation perfectly complement the rigorous degree-oriented education programs offered by universities and colleges, to well prepare students for rewarding careers in the semiconductor industry.”
The partnership will connect over 200 universities and community colleges to more than 1,500 SEMI member companies with US operations. In addition to modernizing and revitalizing a comprehensive curriculum that spans multiple disciplines and degree levels, these institutions will be collaborating with organizations to provide hands-on training and apprenticeships, uniquely critical to the microelectronics industry and students.
The ASA initiative also advocates for modernization of university laboratory infrastructure to speed the translation of new innovations to the marketplace. Both the ASA and SEMI are committed to foster diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and to enrich the talent pool by including minority-serving institutions and community colleges nationwide, sharing resources and best practices, and offering hands-on learning, research experiences, and internship opportunities for their students and trainees.
About the SEMI Foundation
The SEMI Foundation non-profit charitable organization founded in 2001 to support economic opportunity for workers and the sustained growth of the microelectronics industry. The Foundation works to attract, develop, and retain a well-trained and innovative workforce through educational programs, diversity initiatives to support women, veterans, and people of color, and member engagement. The Foundation’s longest-running program, SEMI High Tech U, inspires high-school students to pursue STEM college educations and careers, Since 2002, High Tech U programs in Austria, France, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States have directly influenced and inspired more than 8,200 students and teachers.
About SEMI
SEMI connects more than 2,400 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA), the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) and SOI Consortium are SEMI Strategic Technology Communities.
About the American Semiconductor Academy Initiative
The American Semiconductor Academy (ASA) is an initiative driven by faculty at universities and colleges across the U.S. who share a vision of strengthening America’s leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, which is critical for a robust microelectronics ecosystem. The ASA’s mission is to supply talent and innovation to fuel the growth of the U.S. semiconductor industry by fostering active collaboration between universities and colleges and in partnership with companies. The ASA Initiative planning team represents over 50 universities and colleges, each paired with a local community college partner. The ASA is planned to be an independent and inclusive national semiconductor education and training network, open to all U.S. universities and colleges to participate, and to industry and government stakeholders to partner with. This initiative has been endorsed by over 30 companies across the American microelectronics ecosystem, including the leading U.S. semiconductor manufacturing companies.
www.semi.org/en/workforce-development/ASA
