Chip manufacturers continue to plan new fab openings across Europe. Yet a serious challenge could get in the way: a shortage of skilled workers. The talent gap has widened in the European semiconductor industry over the past two years, according to the MicroElectronics Training, Industry and Skills (METIS) consortium.
Talent Gap_Skills_Talent Shortage
With the Chips Act, the European Union aims to strengthen its competitiveness and double its current semiconductor market share to 20% by 2030. However, achieving such ambitions will be possible only if the talent shortage is addressed. The European microelectronics sector directly accounts for 200,000 and indirectly for 1 million highly skilled jobs, and the demand for new skills is relentless.
Launched in November 2019, the four-year METIS project aims to bridge the skill gap in microelectronics for “a more competitive Europe.” METIS, coordinated by SEMI Europe, connects microelectronics startups, SMEs and large firms with national and EU industry associations, formal educational providers and regulatory bodies in the field of accreditation and certification.
The METIS consortium has released the 2022 update of its “METIS Skills Strategy” report. It details the skill needs of the European microelectronics industry from the beginning of 2021 through 2022 and describes the new job profiles and skills that emerged during this period.
Most critical job profiles
As explained in the 36-page report, the most critical job profiles are the profiles that are the most sought after by the industry and the most difficult to fill.
In 2022, as in 2020, the most sought-after job profiles in the European microelectronics industry were software and design engineers — system design engineers, digital design engineers and analog design engineers. However, the demand for and shortage of software engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity experts and application engineers has risen sharply in two years.
Europe’s Semiconductor Talent Gap Widens
The global chip shortage had a direct impact on the recruitment process, as there was an urgent need for profiles in production and maintenance (i.e., process engineers, maintenance technicians, process technicians).
To weather the chip shortage, companies often had to be agile, and design engineers were asked to adapt the design to the shortage through design for availability. Design for availability is about redesigning chips to get around the shortage of some parts of the value chain, the report notes.
There was also a severe shortage of senior profiles, especially advanced systems architecture designers, senior analog designers with strong programming skills and engineering experts in specific applications fields.
Most critical skills
The METIS report provides a detailed description of the skill needs of the European microelectronics industry, from the beginning of 2021 until 2022, based on respondents’ answers.
When asked what skill needs were developing, respondents cited: machine learning and AI; data analysis; systems design and system architectures (SoC, SiP, SoP, complex ASIC); digital skills and software skills (especially embedded software programming); and knowledge of new materials.
Europe’s Semiconductor Talent Gap Widens
Other skills mentioned as gaining ground were: analog design, edge computing, environmental knowledge for product development engineers, export control know-how linked to value chain restrictions, MEMS design for high temperatures and high performance, MEMS processing/manufacturing, product marketing, programming for automatic circuit generation and low-power design.
In 2022, the most critical soft skills were teamwork and communication, as well as creativity.
Recommendations
Given the geopolitical tensions and bottlenecks along the semiconductor value chain, respondents were faced with unprecedented challenges. They largely recommended developing a sustainable workforce and expanding collaboration.
Favor intra- and extra-EU mobility.
Build an EU chip academy to help companies, students and workers find their way around and find the formation that best fits their needs.
Enhance lifelong learning programs and increase the involvement of the microelectronics industry in the education process.
Develop clusters and networks favoring dialog between industry and education representatives.
Create communication campaigns to improve the image of the sector.
Develop joint degrees in microelectronics.
As part of the METIS project, SEMI Europe expects to publish a detailed list of actionable recommendations in the first quarter of 2023.
“We are fully committed to building on the momentum created with the METIS Erasmus+ collaborative project and to mobilizing our industry and education partners for a successful Pact for Skills in microelectronics launched in November 2020,” Laith Altimime, president of SEMI Europe, told EE Times Europe in an interview last year. “The launch is a significant step forward, with a focus on reskilling and upskilling for Europe that will help ensure the continent’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and bolster its digital and green transitions.”
Altimime continued: “Microelectronics provides the foundation for digital infrastructure, and while the industry’s strategic importance is recognized worldwide, a future diverse talent shortage could limit the industry’s growth. The Pact for Skills for microelectronics offers opportunities for the future and is essential for enabling sustainable growth and a more resilient European supply chain.”