Students ticking boxes, taking steps toward semiconductor workforce | Newswise - Newswise

Iowa State University has launched a year-long semiconductor workforce development program supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) under the ExLENT initiative, aimed at addressing the ... Read original →

The semiconductor workforce development program launched by Iowa State University, in collaboration with industry, aims to address the future technical job gap in the U.S. chip sector. This initiative will not only boost the supply of talent skilled in microfabrication techniques such as photolithography and transistor design but also spur innovation across the toolchain. However, it may lead to increased operational costs, especially for SMEs, which might need to invest more to attract these well-educated new hires. Competitors are likely to accelerate their own training programs or increase investments in upskilling existing employees to stay competitive. Over the next 12-24 months, this model of industry-academia collaboration is expected to contribute to a stronger, more resilient domestic supply chain, reducing reliance on external vendors.