The importance of attracting people from all backgrounds and exposing them to the industry earlier in life.
As the semiconductor industry works to attract talent to overcome its labor shortage, governments, educators, and the private sector must collaborate to make industry career opportunities more accessible for prospective employees. This concept provided the framework for a panel discussion during SEMI’s 35th annual Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference (ASMC) that took place in Albany, New York in mid-May.
Despite extensive CHIPS and Science Act news coverage and escalating efforts to promote semiconductor career development initiatives, there’s still a tremendous amount of work to do, noted Fran Dillard, Vice President and Chief Diversity Inclusion Officer at Micron.
“We’re going to have to work to reduce barriers to this industry, and we have a chance to make a generational difference for American citizens,” she said. The panel, titled Talent Pipeline: Building a Sustainable and Diverse Semiconductor Workforce, featured Dillard and representatives from government and education who shared insights on growing the industry to fulfill unprecedented chip demand.
Dillard was joined by Kylie Patterson, Chief Opportunity and Inclusion Officer at CHIPS for America; Kevin Younis, Chief Opportunity Officer and Executive Deputy Commissioner at Empire State Development; and Hector M. Rodriguez, Ph.D., Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math at Hudson Valley Community College. Shari Liss, Executive Director of the SEMI Foundation, moderated the panel.
The need for extensive collaboration to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States fueled the discussion. Patterson explained that given current investments in the semiconductor industry, the U.S. must double its workforce and triple its graduates in technical and construction-related fields. Overall, she estimated the industry will need to train around 100,000 new technicians.
To achieve these goals, Rodriguez said that representatives from GlobalFoundries, the New York State Department of Labor, State University of New York, Center for Economic Growth, and the National Institute for Innovation and Technology, meet monthly to discuss on-the-job training programs for high school graduates and General Educational Development (GED) holders. He explained that by frequently evaluating training programs, they can quickly adjust curriculums if results don’t meet expectations.
Younis said that bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. creates a unique alignment of interests between the government and the private sector. He highlighted the opportunity to work together to build the country’s manufacturing capacity, citing Empire State Development and Micron’s Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund for Central New York as an example of public and private collaboration. Part of the fund, he explained, will go toward workforce development.
“We can focus on succeeding, with everyone marching in the same direction,” he said.
To find the talent needed to sustain the pace of semiconductor innovation, the panel stressed the importance of attracting people from all backgrounds and exposing them to the industry earlier in life.
Dillard pointed out that women account for just 10-15% of workers in technical roles, and that percentage is even lower for people of color.
“If we’re going to resource the semiconductor industry over the next 10-20 years, we’ve got to bring everyone with us,” she said.
Helping those from underrepresented communities overcome barriers like limited access to childcare and transportation is important, said Rodriguez. He noted that wraparound services can be essential for transitioning these individuals into industry careers. Younis also highlighted Empire State Development’s One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships (ON-RAMP) program, which will help provide these services in Upstate New York.
If we’re going to get the people the industry needs, we must look for every opportunity, Rodriguez said, as they need to see that a great job is on the other side of the fence.
Patterson said schoolchildren should be exposed to the semiconductor industry at a younger age, particularly girls and those from underrepresented groups. She cited a study about LEGO blocks, explaining that when the toy is introduced in primary school, boys are often excited, but girls are generally uncomfortable.
“This is an example of the role of exposure,” she said. “If you’re not exposed to something, you have a lack of comfort, and that lack of comfort means you also have a lack of persistence to arrive at a level of competence.”
As an example of how to retain employees, Dillard pointed to the success of Micron’s Employee Resource Groups, as evidenced by the company’s internal data. These groups offer space for Micron’s underrepresented populations to connect with peers from similar backgrounds. Currently, the company has 10 groups, including groups for veterans, women, disabled employees, racial groups, and others.
Diversity within leadership was also noted as key for retaining employees. Rodriguez said that when employees see people from similar backgrounds to their own in leadership roles, those employees are more likely to stay with those companies. Leadership training around psychological safety and working cross-culturally was also mentioned, with Dillard highlighting the importance of developing leaders that value inclusion.
The cyclical nature of the industry was addressed during the Q&A as a reason people may not stay long-term. Part of the solution, Patterson said, is to be transparent about market challenges and the importance of having a few months’ worth of savings. When employees encounter market challenges, they may be forced to switch industries if they don’t have savings to cover them.
“There’s a role for us to be playing when it comes to supporting the financial literacy of our employees,” she said.
View the full 2024 panel discussion to learn more.
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