A year ago, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, prompting semiconductor companies across the United States to commit to investing $231 billion in building domestic chip manufacturing centers.
Efforts to shift semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States have stimulated massive spending. However, as companies begin construction of these manufacturing centers, concerns about the scale of the skilled workforce have emerged.
The world's largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), stated that due to a lack of workers in the U.S., it had to delay production at its $40 billion factory in Arizona. Currently, TSMC is bringing in workers from Taiwan to handle the high-tech equipment and train American workers.
Brian Harrison, TSMC's President in Arizona, mentioned that extremely advanced equipment unique to the U.S. is being installed, but American workers lack experience with these specific tools and technologies, and the search for more qualified skilled technicians is ongoing.
However, not everyone supports TSMC's approach. The Arizona labor union-funded website "Stand with American Workers" believes that TSMC's actions disregard the interests of Arizona workers, attempting to exploit the state's cheap labor force.
A study by Oxford Economics and the Semiconductor Industry Association found that by 2030, there could be a shortage of 67,000 technicians, computer scientists, and engineers due to a lack of educational training programs and related funding.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger also believes that the working skills of workers in the U.S. semiconductor industry need to be improved, but he disagrees with TSMC's approach and partially blames TSMC for these challenges.
Since the passing of the CHIPS Act last year, over 50 community colleges have announced new or expanded semiconductor workforce programs. Data from the student recruitment site Handshake shows that for the 2022-23 academic year, the number of students applying for full-time jobs at semiconductor companies increased by 79%, compared to only a 19% increase in other industries.
Many chip companies are also heavily investing, partnering with local middle schools, high schools, community colleges, and universities to establish their own talent pipelines. For example, semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries is collaborating with the Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University on semiconductor research and education.
However, GlobalFoundries CEO Tom Caulfield stated that due to the government's attempt to double U.S. manufacturing capacity over the next decade, not only is the semiconductor industry under immense pressure, but there is also a lot of work that needs to start from scratch.
