South Korea's Gyeonggi Province Commits to Training Global Semiconductor Personnel

In 2023, Gyeonggi Province will promote capacity strengthening in the teaching and training of hands-on technicians, focusing on the pers...

In 2023, Gyeonggi Province will promote capacity strengthening in the teaching and training of hands-on technicians, focusing on the personnel demands of small and medium-sized enterprises in the fields of semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment.

Gyeonggi Province will operate a shared university that fosters hands-on technicians by linking semiconductor-related universities and companies in the province from 2023 so as to resolve labor shortages in the semiconductor industry.

From April 2022, the province will continue discussions with the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, universities and companies in the province, as well as the Next Generation Convergence Technology Research Institute, and promote the semiconductor industry specialist training project from this year.

In January 2023, the “Gyeonggi Province Semiconductor Human Resource Development Center” (tentative name) will be established to utilize the public education base, foster hands-on technicians, and conduct training to strengthen the capacities of teachers at specialized and vocational high schools. Of particular note, universities and companies with semiconductor-related departments will form 'shared universities' to pool educational courses and facilities for practical education while strengthening on-site training by providing internships at participating companies. Shared universities will receive applications for participation in the academic-industrial consortium in January 2023, and participants will be selected through open competition. Two types of commissioned education programs will be provided: a degree course for university students in Gyeonggi Province, and a non-degree course for college students and those currently employed. There will also be a course for students enrolled in vocational high schools. Through these initiatives, Gyeonggi Province plans to train more than 660 practical semiconductor technicians over a three-year span running until December 2025.

Along with this, Gyeonggi Province plans to operate a teacher-training course to strengthen the capacities of teachers at vocational high schools, match mentees to semiconductor mentors, and provide consulting on the educational process. In addition, it plans to conduct on-site training and provide special corporate lectures by utilizing public education sources, covering topics such as semiconductor processes and measuring equipment.

The Gyeonggi Province expects this project will serve as an opportunity for the province to significantly minimize gaps in the semiconductor industry while resolving labor shortages in the industry. Ryu Gwang-yeol, head of the Gyeonggi Provincial Economic Office, said, “This project will give Gyeonggi Province the momentum to foster its semiconductor industry ecosystem in the short, medium and long-term, thereby taking the lead in the global semiconductor supply chain… We will continue to maximize our efforts in realizing technological advances as well as self-reliance in terms of semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment”.

Gyeonggi Province marked a great achievement by attracting the top four semiconductor equipment companies in 2022. In 2023, Gyeonggi Province is gaining momentum and increasing its share of the global semiconductor market by implementing a training program for new specialists in the semiconductor industry.