Semiconductor firms in Singapore are stepping up their talent development amid a rampant global demand for chips that shows no sign of slowing down.
Industry players have been focusing on two strategies - upskilling existing workers and attracting new employees.
Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) executive director Ang Wee Seng said: "We are seeing companies heavily investing in upgrading and upskilling their workforce, especially in areas of digitalisation.
"Companies have realised this is a critical part of their transformation, towards a more resilient and prepared future, should there be new disruptions."
The demand is certainly there, with chips increasingly being used in automation, communication networks and other technology.
French-based semiconductor firm Soitec is among firms here that are doubling down on their investment in talent and resources.
It has earmarked about $440 million to scale up operations at its Pasir Ris plant and is seeking to hire around 100 new employees as part of its efforts to manufacture one million wafers a year by 2026.
It employs about 220 people and produces around 200,000 wafers - they are used to make integrated circuits - annually.
Soitec Microelectronics Singapore managing director Goh Jong-Aik said: "Our focus is on building a sustainable talent pipeline to support the growth of Soitec in the coming years."
He said that while the company's preference is for workers with experience in the wafer fabrication industry, it has also hired people new to the sector.
Soitec also holds dialogue sessions between the manufacturing plants in France and Singapore, where employees discuss best practices, Mr Goh added.
Finding qualified workers continues to be a challenge for firms, given the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on labour movement, as well as competition among companies in the growing sector.
Singapore's electronics cluster grew 19.6 per cent in the first eight months of the year compared with the same period last year, with the semiconductor segment one of the main drivers of this expansion.
Mr Goh Eu Gene, senior director of design engineering at chip maker Xilinx Asia Pacific, pointed out that the higher global demand for chips has meant that more workers are seeking to relocate overseas as well.
Singapore's electronics cluster grew 19.6 per cent in the first eight months this year compared with the same period last year.
The semiconductor segment has been one of the main drivers of this growth.
There were more than 500 job vacancies as at the end of August, based on the association's job portal and requests from member companies. These roles spanned various experience levels and were primarily for operators, technicians and engineers.
Semiconductor giant Micron Technology, which has committed to hiring 1,500 people in Singapore over the next few years, has been working with local universities to boost talent development through initiatives such as internships and supporting research.
Micron chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra pointed to the company's Micron University programme as a way to develop its workforce. Staff can access online classes at their own pace in areas not limited to their job scopes.
This includes aspects of technology and business operations, he said.
Mr Mehrotra added that there is an increased need to focus on reskilling, given how technology is driving greater automation and developments that will render many jobs of the past obsolete.
Similarly, SSIA's Mr Ang emphasised the need for workers to be equipped with skills that are trending in the industry, such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics. "These are essential, not only to help the workers in their daily routines, but also increase the company's competitiveness as a whole," he added.
The association is addressing a noticeable decline in interest in roles like IC (integrated circuit) designers by teaming with several multinationals to develop initiatives to attract talent, Mr Ang said.
Xilinx's Mr Goh said one initiative under consideration is to run summer camps to encourage more students at the secondary and junior college levels to consider electronics and computer engineering as a field of study in university.
These camps could allow students to try electronics hardware programming projects, he added.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
