'Bottlenecks' in training highly qualified human resources in the semiconductor industry

LACK OF HIGH QUALITY HUMAN RESOURCES

According to Mr. Hoang Minh Son, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, the shortage of high-quality human resources, especially in high-tech fields, is currently a major bottleneck in attracting large technology corporations to shift their investment locations for research, development and production to Vietnam. The main reason lies in the objective law in the supply-demand relationship between the education and training system and the labor market.

Like many other high-tech industries, the semiconductor and microchip industry requires high investment and places demands on available human resources. However, learners and universities will prioritize choosing and investing in occupations with low training costs and high demand in the immediate labor market. Therefore, although the semiconductor microchip technology industry is not a completely new training industry, and some large universities have been implementing training for many years, the number of students studying and graduating to date is still very low. This vicious circle is a major "bottleneck".

Minister Nguyen Kim Son (left) and Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son (right) at the workshop

To resolve this "bottleneck", in addition to clear orientation, adequate support resources and effective coordination tools from the State, it is necessary for universities to proactively participate, in conjunction with business groups to train human resources one step ahead, thereby attracting investment and developing the labor market. From there, create a feedback loop to attract learners, increase high-quality human resources to continue attracting investment.

OPPORTUNITY FOR VIETNAMESE UNIVERSITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GLOBAL SEMICONDUCTOR ECOSYSTEM

At the workshop, Mr. Bui Thanh Tung, University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said that the global semiconductor industry is currently dominated by large countries. However, the average production process of a semiconductor product takes 4-6 months, with more than 500 stages. Therefore, no country can do it all by itself, but must form a global semiconductor and microchip ecosystem.

Vietnam has participated in that semiconductor supply chain, even ranking 9th globally in the field of electronics exports, and is assessed to have a rapidly developing semiconductor ecosystem with the potential to improve its position in the global semiconductor supply chain. Vietnamese enterprises such as Viettel and FPT have begun to participate in the global IC supply chain. Intel's packaging and testing factory in Ho Chi Minh City has shipped more than 3 billion chips by the end of 2022. However, Mr. Tung and other delegates all pointed out the current situation of training university-level human resources for this industry, which is currently very lacking in quantity and weak in quality. Each year, the semiconductor industry needs 10,000 engineers, but the current workforce only meets less than 20%.

Currently, training institutions have plans to expand enrollment and training to meet the demand for highly skilled workers in the semiconductor industry labor market in the future. However, to ensure quality training, schools and systems must face many challenges.

Microcircuit and High Frequency Systems Laboratory at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. According to statistics, the highest proportion of personnel working in the semiconductor field graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (26%).

A SERIES OF CHALLENGES

Associate Professor Nguyen Duc Minh, Head of the Faculty of Electronics, School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Hanoi University of Science and Technology) pointed out difficulties such as lack of specialized facilities for semiconductor chips (software, measuring and testing machines, experimental manufacturing), unsynchronized learning materials and experiments, low number of lecturers/students, low number of students studying the right major. The requirements for facilities (software, machines) for training in semiconductor industry require a lot of investment, the cost of training hardware engineers is high, and students prefer to study software, which is a challenge for university training institutions.

Associate Professor Tran Manh Ha, Ho Chi Minh City National University, said that current university facilities are facing a series of difficulties such as not having a microchip design major code, lacking policies to support lecturers, experts and attract good students, lacking and not sharing laboratories for training and in-depth research, lacking microchip design research centers connecting businesses with universities, experts, manufacturing practices, testing and inspection.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Hieu, Academy of Technology - Posts and Telecommunications, to solve the shortage of high-tech human resources in the semiconductor industry, the State and enterprises need to cooperate closely with universities. First, we must pay attention to and develop enterprises. Enterprises are both investors and places with the task of retraining, internal training, combining training, ordering from universities, and granting scholarships to students. In particular, enterprises are the source of absorbing human resources trained by universities. If we do not have a large enough and strong enough number of enterprises, then if universities train a large number, supply will exceed demand.

According to Associate Professor Pham Bao Son, Vice President of Hanoi National University, one issue that needs attention is how to have a team of good teachers. In addition to training the existing workforce, universities need to attract good people.

The semiconductor and microchip industry requires high investment and places demands on available human resources.

MINISTER NGUYEN KIM SON : "WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY"

Concluding the conference, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that October 19 is a memorable milestone in the journey of the university education system contributing to the creation and development of Vietnam's semiconductor industry in the future. "I want to talk about the word "TIME". This is a time, an hour, an opportunity. At this time, if we can take advantage of it, we have a great opportunity," said Minister Nguyen Kim Son.

According to the Minister, the time is ripe. The mission and responsibility to participate in developing the semiconductor technology sector, raising the level and position of the country are placed on the shoulders of the entire university education system. "We must not miss this step, if we miss this step we will be guilty to the country. If we can do it, we can raise the national position, raise the position of the entire university system", the Minister shared.

Minister Nguyen Kim Son said that besides the word "TIME", we need to mention the word "HIGH": high demand, high technology field, high investment required, high requirements, high expectations, learners can have high income... In particular, we must train with the spirit of high quality, we need to be very determined to do it.

The important thing, according to the Minister, is to have breakthrough solutions. On the side of the Ministry of Education and Training, for schools that are determined enough to prove their capabilities, the Ministry is ready to allow schools to enroll students early. The Ministry of Education and Training is ready to issue circulars and special regulations; special regulations to attract experts, cooperate in training, use each other's programs, use foreign programs...

Which school provides the most personnel working in the semiconductor field?

The highest proportion of personnel working in the semiconductor field are graduates from the University of Technology - Ho Chi Minh City National University (26%); followed by the University of Natural Sciences - Ho Chi Minh City National University (18%); Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education (12%); Hanoi University of Science and Technology 9%; Can Tho University (7%); University of Information Technology - Ho Chi Minh City National University (6%); University of Technology - Da Nang University (6%); Academy of Technology - Posts and Telecommunications (3%); International University - Ho Chi Minh City National University (3%).

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Vinh , Technical Director, Synopsys VN Co., Ltd.

Average income of university-educated workers in the semiconductor field

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Vinh, Technical Director of Synopsys VN Co., Ltd., announced the following data on the average income (after tax) of university-educated workers working in the semiconductor industry according to seniority (unit: million VND/year): First year: 219.35. Year 2: 241.29. Year 3: 265.14. Year 4: 291.95. Year 5: 321.15. Year 6: 353.27. Year 7: 388.59. Year 8: 420. Year 9: 470.20. Year 10: 517.22. Year 11: 568.94. Year 12: 625.83. Year 13: 688.41. Year 14: 757.26. Year 15: 832.98. Year 16: 916.28. Year 17: 1,007.91. Year 18: 1,108.70. Year 19: 1,219.57. Year 20: 1,341.52.

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