The search for talent in microelectronics is urgent and critical. Not only are recruitment professionals looking to fill existing jobs, but the prospect of a pending flood of retirees will compound the problem. And in the coming years, the industry plans to add many new chip fabs worldwide, creating an even greater need for skilled workers across the microelectronics value chain. For most SEMI members, finding talent is one of the greatest challenges they face today.
Last November, the SEMI Foundation published a SEMI VetWorks Guide to help SEMI members recruit and hire some of the over 200,000 U.S. military veterans who enter civilian life each year. Educating the microelectronics industry on the importance of tapping this important demographic is only part of the equation. For an industry that is vital but often obscure to the general public, how do we create awareness of career opportunities when the global competition for talent is so fierce? We need to be intentional and strategic about how to appeal to the diverse, skilled talent in the military.
Many SEMI members have long looked to the military as a rich source of talent, and many veterans and active reservists have been employed in the microelectronics sector for years. One such company is Tokyo Electron. The April 2022 issue of GI Jobs featured an interview with West Point graduate and TEL President Larry Smith.
In the interview, Smith explained why the semiconductor industry is a good career choice for veterans and why veterans are ideal hires for his company in all areas, from supply chain to field service to sales. “I think the perfect fit is literally half of my company,” Smith noted.
The GI Jobs article included comments from Kathryn Garner, TEL talent acquisition and global mobility senior manager, who is on the front line of veteran recruitment. Garner, who has written about veteran hiring, is dedicated to creating a path for veteran success at TEL. She points to military training that makes veterans’ skills “totally transferrable” to the semiconductor industry.
The article also quotes SEMI Foundation Executive Director Shari Liss, who notes that SEMI is addressing the industry awareness challenge through a career exploration portal with job crosswalks to help bridge military and civilian skills. These crosswalks will address the challenge of interpreting military skills and matching them to the many job microelectronics industry career opportunities available to transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses.
Read the full GI Jobs interview to learn more.
Margaret Kindling is the senior program manager for diversity, equity and inclusion at the SEMI Foundation.