In order to achieve cutting-edge semiconductor innovation, nurturing high-level talent is of utmost importance. To discover and nurture new talent and strengthen the capabilities of existing personnel, global companies and universities have joined hands in the semiconductor education initiative.

Arm, a British semiconductor design (IP) company, recently announced a new global initiative, the Semiconductor Education Alliance, with support from its partners.

The alliance includes Arduino, Cadence, University of Cornell, Semiconductor Research Council (SRC), STMicroelectronics, Synopsys, Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute, All-India Council for Technical Education, and University of Southampton, and aims to address growing industry challenges by bringing together key stakeholders from industry, academia, and government to identify talent and build capacity among the existing workforce.

The global strategic importance of the semiconductor industry is more widely recognized than ever before. It is understood, and this growing awareness is spurring billions of dollars of investment in all aspects of the semiconductor space, from design to manufacturing and distribution.

“While it is clear that there are opportunities for growth and innovation, the availability of the right skills in the workforce can be a significant barrier to progress,” said Gary Campbell, vice president of central engineering at Arm. “To ensure that this does not become a bottleneck for the industry’s growth at this critical time, the Semiconductor Education Coalition is calling on everyone who can contribute to the semiconductor technology pipeline to get involved.”

■ Integrating the semiconductor industry and academia to create a new educational path

The Semiconductor Education Alliance aims to integrate several existing partnerships and workstreams across Arm and the broader industry, as well as create new partnerships, to provide education and training pathways, resources, and services that build and support a competency framework and future talent pool that reflects the needs of specific industries.

Developed by a team of Arm experts with extensive teaching experience at the university and beyond, the alliance is an evolution of Arm’s existing education model, with Arm playing a key role in coordinating it. Meanwhile, community members will share resources, capabilities, and expertise in a flexible, federated, and open model through a variety of forums. This will give teachers, researchers, prospective or current engineers, and learners easier access to key resources and new opportunities to collaborate on projects such as joint bids for research grants.

For example, Arm is working with semiconductor design automation (EDA) partners to develop new very-large-scale integration (VLSI) design education resources using cutting-edge EDA tools and IP, and Arm and its partners are developing new distance learning solutions in computer science and informatics. It also contributes to the innovation of a global system-on-chip (SoC) design platform for academia, providing access to the latest semiconductor manufacturing technologies.

■ Diversity, a key element in building next-generation semiconductor talent

To attract a more diverse talent pool to the industry, the Semiconductor Education Alliance is committed to expanding and supporting multiple pathways to semiconductor-related careers, including technical, vocational, and self-study.

To achieve this, the Coalition’s approach is to provide flexible access to training in a variety of ways, making the industry accessible to individuals regardless of prior training or experience.

The alliance’s member companies will create new opportunities for learners to gain practical experience through internships, apprenticeships and co-op placements, as well as offer distance learning tracks on a massive open online course (MOOC) platform that will be freely accessible to learners regardless of their financial or geographic location.

■ A powerful technology pipeline for the future computing ecosystem

Many industries, including Arm, have high-quality training programs that provide cutting-edge content, tools, and services, and operate university programs that educate hundreds of thousands of students around the world.

However, Arm believes the industry is currently at a tipping point in terms of the technology gap, and that more cohesive industry-wide action is needed to make a real impact.

Arm has always recognized the importance of investing in technology and education, and Arm’s massive compute footprint and global ecosystem mean it has a unique and broad view of the technologies the industry will need as it evolves.

The Semiconductor Education Alliance Threatens Development TodayThe goal is to better align the industry around a community of common goals, shared resources, and best practices to address the skills gap that Arm is facing. Arm is committed to being a driving force within the alliance to continue to foster a pipeline of talent that will enable the industry to collaborate and build the future of Arm-based computing.

At launch, alliance members included Arduino, Anglia Ruskin University, Cadence, Cornell University, IIT Jodhpur, STMicroelectronics, Synopsys, Taiwan Semiconductor Research Center, Indian Council for Science, Technology and Education, Semiconductor Research Association, Semiconductor Industry Alliance, University of Southampton, UK Electronics Skills Foundation, and Universitat Politècnica de Valencia.