Why the Chip Industry Is Struggling to Attract the Next Generation

Summary

This is a free edition of my weekly newsletter. Each week, I help readers learn about chip design, stay up-to-date on complex topics, and navigate a career in semiconductors. You can do this short 3-question survey to give your take on the issues in semiconductor hiring (responses are strictly kept confidential).There is a worldwide shortage of semiconductor talent.Deloitte estimates that 1 million additional skilled workers are required to meet the semiconductor industry demand by 2030. Regardless of the accuracy of that number or timeline, we need a larger supply of well trained semiconductor professionals because chips are here to stay.We have seen countries launch CHIPS programs to develop a homegrown supply of semiconductors that protects them from geopolitical turbulences and pandemic-inspired supply chain shortages. Unfortunately, the upskilling needed for semiconductor talent cannot happen overnight. There has been a systemic shift away from hardware engineering over the past few decades, and making semiconductors sexy again is no easy task.In this article, we will discuss 6 reasons why the chip industry is struggling to attract new talent. Theory-first education: In an effort to build from fundamentals, there is too much emphasis on theory rather than a focus on applications.Compensation myth: There is a feeling that software pays more than hardware. Reality is not so cut and dry.Graduate degrees: A lot more employers ask for graduate level degrees to enter chip design creating bottlenecks in talent supply.Early specialization: Highly niche skillsets are less marketable and career limiting.Documentation shortages: Hardware design is entirely tribal knowledge and hard to self-learn.Chip design culture: Hardware companies have a retro feel to them, deadlines are tight, and mistakes are deadly.Read time: 8 minsSemiconductors sit at the intersection of math, physics, chemistry, mechanics, programming, and measurement — few fields are more interdisciplinary. The...