How can universities train the skilled workers of tomorrow?

"In the United Kingdom, 63% of semiconductor manufacturers are facing a worker shortfall (see go.nature.com/4mqea8e). By 2030, the US semiconductor sector is projected to have a 58% shortage in its workforce (see go.nature.com/4nkwzqz). The European Union faces a similar crisis: the sector is expected to have some 75,000 unfilled positions by 2030 (see go.nature.com/4nckwir). And in Asia, the industry's epicentre, South Korea expects to have shortages of at least 30,000 people over the next decade."

"This skills chasm threatens countries' plans to build semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure, with broad implications. Defence technologies rely on sophisticated chips; semiconductor security is linked to national cybersecurity; and supply-chain issues can disrupt entire economies. And there is a crucial problem: sophisticated technologies require complex manufacturing processes, making them vulnerable to training shortfalls."

"People who produce high-end semiconductors need to know how to work in a specialized semiconductor-fabrication facility, or 'fab' - a tightly controlled and isolated environment designed to minimize contamination by airborne particles. China's nascent semiconductor industry has, so far, focused on simpler 'fabless' chips. But to produce high-end chips, the nation will need highly proficient work"

Advanced batteries, computers and artificial-intelligence tools increase demand for highly skilled workers to build them. Universities can provide training but are struggling to keep up with surging demand. The semiconductor industry faces an unprecedented global shortage in workforce training and talent. In the United Kingdom, 63% of semiconductor manufacturers face a worker shortfall; the United States is projected to have a 58% workforce shortage by 2030; the European Union expects about 75,000 unfilled positions by 2030; South Korea anticipates shortages of at least 30,000 people over the next decade. The skills gap endangers manufacturing plans, defense capabilities, cybersecurity and supply-chain resilience. High-end chip production requires skilled fab workers and contamination-controlled processes.

Read at Nature