The WGNSTAR recruiting team attending a SEMI VetWorks hiring event at Papago Park Military Reservation Allen Readiness Center on May 31, 2023. Photo courtesy of WGNSTAR.
Semiconductors are not foreign to Arizona, as chip manufacturers have been established here since the 1940s, the dawn of the first transistor. However, the industry’s current growth in the Silicon Desert is unprecedented. According to The New York Times, Arizona has more than 115 chip-related companies, including WGNSTAR, and the state has led the nation in chip investment since 2020.
An economic benefit from this growth is the addition of thousands of new jobs in the state. Many skill sets will be required to support the expanded production capacity, from manufacturing technicians to electrical engineers.
Unfortunately, Arizona does not currently have enough skilled labor to allow this growth to come to fruition. According to a Deloitte report, the industry will require more than 100,000 new skilled workers per year until 2030, but science, technology, engineering and math enrollment in universities across the U.S. cannot support this. In fact, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company intended to start productivity of its new fab in north Phoenix in early 2024, but the need for more skilled labor has pushed the start date to 2025. TSMC is just one of many semiconductor companies suffering from the lack of a talent pipeline, and the need for skilled employees is not expected to slow down.
Training the Next Generation of the Semiconductor Workforce
Fortunately, though lack of STEM enrollment is undoubtedly a problem, not all skilled talent in the semiconductor industry requires a four-year university degree or higher. While there are many positions for which a university education is necessary to do the job, there are an equal if not greater number of positions for which this may not be the case. Colleges throughout the Valley are making great strides by providing secondary education courses to those interested in the field. Maricopa County College offers a 10-day accelerated Semiconductor Technician Quick Start program for less than $300, while Arizona State University in Tempe provides a Certificate in Semiconductor Processing that requires the completion of just five college courses.
While this is an excellent start to finding a solution to the staffing problem, more is needed throughout the Valley. To address the issue, semiconductor companies need to put plans in place immediately to accelerate recruitment numbers today and into the future of the next generation of semiconductor professionals.
One of WGNSTAR’s initiatives is to focus on engagement with community colleges, local universities and trade schools to promote industry awareness, provide insight into various alternative career paths, and assist with curriculum development for technical programs. Through these academic collaborations, WGNSTAR looks to provide early opportunities for students interested in the semiconductor industry and assist them with building technician skills.
Furthering Military Veteran Careers
In addition to university efforts, the industry remains dedicated to supporting service members in transition. Veterans bring established skills like safety standards and stress tolerance from their military careers to semiconductors. Current initiatives, including SEMI’s VetWorks program and the U.S. Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program, connect semiconductor companies with transitioning military personnel, offering them the opportunity to further their career upon discharge.
In Arizona, WGNSTAR has made significant strides in engaging with transitioning service members and the military community. Nearly 15% of WGNSTAR’s Arizona-based semiconductor industry employees served in the armed forces, and more than 14% of all new hires nationally in 2022 were veterans. WGNSTAR was honored with the Gold HireVets Medallion Award by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2022 for its commitment to hiring military veterans.
Embracing the Arizona Boom
Like others, WGNSTAR has taken the challenge to find creative solutions to the talent shortages in the industry. It addresses this critical need through strategic partnerships, diverse talent-sourcing initiatives and industry council involvement. WGNSTAR is optimistic about Arizona’s semiconductor future, emphasizing that industry collaboration is vital to filling the talent pipeline and pushing semiconductor productivity to the next level.
Jeannie Jesson is the director of human resources at WGNSTAR, the leading people, resource, and asset lifecycle management partner to the semiconductor industry, where she leads organizational development, employee engagement and recruiting across the U.S. She has a passion for education and relationship building, which inspires her work with industry and academic collaborations. Jesson is a California native who grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley but has been a proud Arizona resident for 28 years.
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