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06.08

The Latest on Skills Demand in the Semiconductor Industry

By Paul Kostek

In a slowing economy, where are the opportunities? What skills and industries offer opportunities? Following is data from a survey of the Semiconductor Industry Association’s (SIA) member companies [www.sia-online.org]. The survey looks at degrees, technical skills and the difficulty companies are having filling these positions. Keep in mind that the semiconductor industry is looking for people with varying levels of experience, so don’t feel limited by the number of years of experience you have. Figure 1 includes the results of the 2007 survey.

As you can see, the demand for EEs in the semiconductor industry remains strong, along with such specialties as analog, DSP and mixed signal design. In addition to demand for design, there’s a need for people with experience in process, manufacturing and test engineering. Visit the Web sites of SIA member companies to learn more about opportunities [www.sia-online.org/ind_directory.cfm].

If you are not currently in the industry, the challenge is to position yourself to take advantage of these opportunities. Even if you’re just picking up these skills, you can leverage your industry experience to make yourself an attractive candidate. Think about your overall skills — design, project management, test, manufacturing, field applications, and so on — and how you can apply them to the semiconductor industry. This is not an easy exercise, as companies are becoming even more selective as the economy slows, and they can take their time to select candidates. There may be more opportunity in field applications, test and sales for people transitioning into the semiconductor industry.

Networking is a critically important skill for anyone looking to enter the semiconductor industry. If you don’t have contacts, take advantage of your IEEE membership and local Section/Chapter to develop contacts.

If you need to add/refresh skills, following are some good resources to use:

IEEE Expert Now – Courses on design and manufacturing [www.ieee.org/web/education/Expert_Now_IEEE/].

IEEE Societies – Explore IEEE Society offerings, such as those of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society, and take note of the Emerging Technology Workshops they are offering [www.ieee.org/web/societies/home/].

Local IEEE Activities – Check out your local IEEE Section and Chapter offerings, and use the meetings to network with people in the semi industry [www.ieee.org/web/geo_activities/home/index.html].

Local Universities and Colleges are another resource, as are online programs such as those offered by electronics, ca publications [www.electronics.ca/training/semizone.html] .

Paul Kostek is IEEE-USA's vice president for communications and public awareness. Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.