internships

Avellán Jaramillo identifies as Latina (she, her, ella). She interned at Applied Materials during the summer of 2022 and presented during SEMICON West 2022, is a Ph.D. candidate in Materials Science & Engineering at University of California, Berkeley. Read her journey in technology.

The Workforce Development Pavilion (WFD) returned to SEMICON West 2022 Hybrid with three days of programming and activities to address workforce development challenges and share opportunities for job seekers, students, recent graduates, talent recruiters and human resources professionals.

The Pact for Skills aims to support upskilling and reskilling and generate European, national and regional funding to attract new talent. Launched by commissioners Breton and Schmit, the Pact makes it a priority to create a well-skilled workforce in microelectronics R&D, design, and manufacturing.

EMD Electronics welcomes dozens of interns into its various business functions nationwide every year. Students from under-graduate and postgraduate programs gain valuable experience in a global science and technology company connecting with colleagues across the world from day one.

In this article, several experts weigh in on considerations for developing the smart manufacturing workforce that will help to alleviate the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing talent shortage, even as multiple, data-intensive $1 billion to $10 billion fabrication facilities come online.

Like TEL, many SEMI member companies have a long history of hiring veterans. We all have done a good job of hiring military personnel who possess the obvious semiconductor industry-related job skills and experience (e.g., avionics, hydraulics, mechanics, and radio frequency (RF)). But as an industry, are we doing enough? Are we missing out on the next employee of the year because we aren’t thinking broadly enough about our workforce? Five years ago, I met a young soldier at a military job fair. The interaction with him was a defining moment for me personally and it inspired me to commit to do more to translate military experience to the civilian workforce. Soldier: “What does TEL do?” Me: (Industry has a bright future, chips are in essentially everything including your military gear, etc.) Soldier: With disappointment, “Well, I don’t suppose I’m qualified to work at your company – since its technology.” Me: “Please stay for another moment, tell me your MOS (Military Occupation Specialty code) and job duties.” Soldier: “Ma’am, I’m a bomb specialist. I disable bombs.” Me: “Okay, let’s see if I get this right. You work with electrical schematics. It’s a given you follow instructions and guidelines, consider safety a p-r-e-t-t-y big deal, work under pressure, and you work with a team. Right?” Soldier: With excitement, “Yes, ma’am. And we have a squadron motto: “We have NO bad days!” Me: “Well then, you have the PERFECT background!” This conversation changed this soldier’s outlook on his career possibilities after exiting the military. He never imagined that the specialized training and experience he received as a bomb specialist would lead him to a role in the high-tech industry. He honestly believed he possessed no value to a civilian employer. It was moving to experience this gap of understanding face-to-face. Yet, this is a typical conversation between recruiters and hiring managers and military members. I could have easily let him walk away. Instead, I chose to invest 10 more minutes to learn more about what this soldier had to offer TEL. What is the key challenge around hiring military veterans? Disconnect. 90% of veterans surveyed faced challenges seeking civilian employment. According to Pew Research Center, only 1% of the entire U.S. population is qualified to join the U.S. military, and .5% (yes, that’s ½ of 1%) serve. This means 99.5% of the U.S. population has no direct working experience with the military. Civilian employers (recruiters, hiring managers, or employees) do not understand what the military does, the technical nature and responsibility of each role, or the extensive training each military member receives. And, veterans do not understand the civilian workspace. We truly have a gap translating military experiences and skills to the civilian workforce and vice versa. What are the benefits hiring military veterans? There are numerous benefits to hiring military veterans. Veterans are well-versed in cutting-edge technology. Today’s military is high-tech, state-of-the-art, and computer-based. Veterans are uniquely matched to our industry. Their jobs are highly technical and soldiers are extremely safety-conscious; they appreciate guidelines, follow directions, and possess a strong sense of team. Veterans are global citizens. Many military veterans have lived and worked in more than one country and speak more than one language. They tend to be culturally astute. Veterans have a winner’s psychology. Military members receive hundreds of hours of professional and technical training. They focus on a higher purpose and win as a team. Veterans practice accountability and leadership. Personal accountability is highly promoted. There is no room for excuses or acceptable reasons for mission failure. Everyone has the opportunity for a leadership role at some level and has modeling of what good leadership looks like. Hiring veterans aid diversity program issues over time. The military is a diverse group with 16% females and 44% people of color. Military personnel come from a wide variety of experiences – from across all 50 U.S. states with a variety of cultural and economic backgrounds. How can SEMI member companies truly effect change? Considering over 200,000 men and women exit the military annually, we have a significant opportunity to effect change by offering careers to those who serve while expanding our industry’s talent pool. Here are some initial ideas to get your company moving towards a more robust military outreach: Participate in the SEMI Foundation’s VetWorks Program: The Foundation is creating a toolkit to help member companies engage, hire, train, and retain veterans. This includes support for veteran-friendly messaging and recruiting, internships, training programs, and job fairs. This work will launch in Q2 of 2021 – contact Margaret Kindling at SEMI for details ([email protected]). Have a smart plan – Determine what positions make sense to focus on for veteran hiring. Start simple and grow your efforts over time. Set metrics for what percentage of your hires will be veterans. Recruiters can use simple key word searches to pull veteran resumes. Your company can attend military job fairs (in person or virtual) either at military installations or hiring events by organizations like Hiring Our Heroes, RecruitMilitary, etc. Offer diversity training related to hiring military veterans that focus on military vs. corporate cultures. Additionally, Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Foundation offers a Veterans at Work Certification Program available for all interested participants. Soldier For Life – This is an official U.S. Army program created to help connect current soldiers, retired soldiers, veterans, and their families with education, employment, and health and wellness resources and opportunities. If you are near a military installation, get to know the transition assistance program (TAP) officer or the base commander. You have to be persistent – the relationship will be worth it. Ask your network, including SEMI member companies, if they would share their military installation contacts. This is not a closed talent competition amongst our industry partners. Many companies who have a robust military outreach program are eager to share their stories to help you get started. It is simply the right thing to do to help each other make a difference for those who served. Internships/Mentorships/Fellowships. Ask your local military installation if they offer direct mentorships or internships. A great way to get started with internships is partnering with NAM’S Manufacturing Institute – Heroes MAKE America. Hiring Our Heroes is another great resource for fellowships. Let’s do more for those who served. Interested in starting an industry veteran network to share best practices? Please contact [email protected]. We can do this! Kathy Garner is Manager, Talent Acquisition, Global Mobility, and Contingent Worker Management at TEL. References Bradbard, D. (Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Syracuse University) Schmeling, J. (Student Veterans of America). The Recruitment, Hiring, Retention Engagement of Military Veterans. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/foundation/ourwork/initiatives/engaging-and-integrating-military-veterans/pages/veteransguidebook.aspx Parker, K., Cilluffo, A., Stepler, R. 6 Facts about the U.S. Military Changing Demographics. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/13/6-facts-about-the-u-s-military-and-its-changing-demographics/ Reynolds, G. Shendruk, A. (2020, July 13). Demographics of the U.S. Military. Council of Foreign Relations. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/demographics-us-military Shifting Forward Consulting. Shift to the Civilian SUIT: How Veterans Can Successfully Navigate 3 Job Interview Challenges. (10/17/18). Retrieved from https://cherriedavis.com/veterans-successfully-navigate-3-job-interview-challenges/ SHRM Veteran Panel 2018. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/rgDUAALxTRg SHRM Veteran Panel 2018 Resources Bureau of Labor Statistics https://www.bls.gov/home.htm Heroes MAKE America http://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Initiatives/Military-and-Veterans/Heroes-MAKE-America/Heroes-MAKE-America.aspx Hiring Our Heroes https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/hiring-our-heroes Soldier For Life https://soldierforlife.army.mil US Department of Defense https://www.defense.gov/Our-Story/Our-Forces/ USO https://www.uso.org/

What do you do when much of the U.S. is under lockdown and university students want insights into career opportunities in the microelectronics industry including how to secure jobs?Go virtual.More than 100 students from 30 universities hopped online recently to attend Find Your Future in Microelectronics, the SEMI Foundation’s first webinar. The students learned about the industry’s impact on the future of tech and available career paths and discovered how to take advantage of the Foundation’s university programs. They also submitted their resumes as part of joining SEMI’s student fellow network in hopes of engaging with employers and exploring available job opportunities.And if the students’ questions were a telling sign of their engagement, the event showed that they were fully tuned in. Tim Brosnihan, executive director of the MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), Erika Hansen, an Applied Materials process engineer, and Cristina Sandoval, the event coordinator and moderator, fielded a whopping 65 questions, many of them about job opportunities, career paths and suggested courses of study. A sample of the questions asked: Q: Is the industry still hiring during these uncertain times?A: Yes! The microelectronics industry is growing and will continue to grow over the next 10 years. There are many job opportunities to be had in the industry and many of our member companies are hiring.Q: What kind of degrees does the microelectronics industry look for?A: Generally, the industry primarily hires graduates with STEM degrees. Chemical, electrical, nano, mechanical, and materials engineering are some of the top majors the industry hires from along with chemistry, physics, and mathematic degrees. That being said, the industry needs talent from all majors. That includes business, finance, human resources and marketing.Q: How can I get connected to the opportunities provided by SEMI?A: You can sign up to connect to our employers and opportunities at www.semi.org/join-edu. Once you submit your information, you will be kept up to date on the latest events and opportunities offered by SEMI and our member companies.Q: Any advice on what to do if your offer has been rescinded?A: Don’t limit yourself when it comes to opportunities. If your offer has been rescinded, don’t give up! Share your situation with your LinkedIn network, an invaluable resource full of contacts that can help you learn about job opportunities. You never know what you will love once you enter the workforce, so keep yourself open and don’t limit the positions or fields that you interview for. Rescinding an offer is always a very difficult decision for an organization, so make sure that you exit the relationship positively. You never know who you will cross paths in the future.Erika delved into the day in the life of an engineer and advised students on ways to find jobs in our industry. Students interacted with Erika, eager to learn how she balanced customer needs with working in the lab. She said she enjoys that duality because it continues to challenge her, allowing her to grow her abilities as a professional.When it comes to breaking into the industry, working in college or through internships and direct-hire opportunities after graduating are good ways to do so. And the students can get their feet in the door with degrees at various levels and across a wide range of disciplines. There is no set formula for success. Learners, she said, will find a place in the industry.With workforce development a key industry initiative, the SEMI Foundation will be rolling out more virtual programs and events to help keep university students and the microelectronics industry connected. Look for details on a virtual job fair we’re planning.We look forward to seeing you online!Shari Liss is executive director of the SEMI Foundation. Shari can be reached at [email protected].

With one of the oldest and largest public education systems in the developed world, how well does the US public education system serve the global electronics industry? Public education in the US has had time on its side. In 1635 the Boston Latin School became the first public school in the US. Boston Latin was originally a boys-only secondary school that taught Greek, Latin and the humanities. It wasn’t until 1918, however, that the US government required all children to obtain at least an elementary-school education – available to them through free public schools. As public education increasingly served the masses rather than just the elite, a balance of humanities, mathematics and science began to replace the classics.While free public education in the US got a comparatively early start, most American students score lower in science and math than students in many other developed nations. According to a 2017 Pew Research Study, 15-year-old American students ranked 24th in the world in international standardized age-group science testing and 38th in the world in standardized mathematics testing. While test scores are just one measure of proficiency, do they in some way reflect a lack of motivation to study science and math because of students’ unfamiliarity with STEM careers? Source: Pew Research. See article. Make STEM RelevantIf we want the US to remain a leader in the global electronics industry, we need to pay attention to the disconnects between academics and workforce development. We must help show students at an early age that STEM careers can be exciting, creative and fulfilling, and that math and science are essential to STEM.Ways to Get InvolvedWhether you work for a large publicly traded electronics manufacturer, an equipment or materials supplier, a foundry or a startup, you can take action to support student engagement in STEM. Here are a few ways to get involved:Participate in Community Programs One fun way to inspire budding technologists is to sponsor one of the FIRST programs for students. These age-segmented competitive programs range from FIRST LEGO League, Jr. Challenge for six-ten year-olds to FIRST Robotics Challenges for high school and college students, giving you the opportunity to sponsor a team or even to coach.Our company sponsors Team TNT, a Southern Oregon-based team that placed among the world’s top high school robotics teams at the spring 2018 world championships. We also brought two members of Team TNT to SEMICON West 2018, where they attended SEMI’s three-day High Tech U and presented their insights on building their FIRST Challenge robot at the Smart Workforce Pavilion. Margaux Quady (L) and Matthew Mills (R), Team TNT members, presented at SEMI’s Smart Workforce Pavilion at SEMICON West (Rogue Valley Microdevices) Concerned about the dearth of girls interested in STEM — and the small numbers of women in engineering careers? Look for your local equivalent of the Advocates for Women in Science, Engineering, and Math (AWSEM) Symposium, a day-long program for middle school girls. One of our engineers, Jennifer Devin, gave a hands-on workshop on deconstructing smartphones to showcase the silicon chips inside them. If you cannot find something like AWSEM, check out national programs such as the Society for Women Engineers (SWE)’s SWENext program for girls ages 13-18 as well as Girl Powered.Partner with Local SchoolsYou would be surprised at the opportunities to present what you do in the classrooms of school-age children. Take after Allyson Hartzell, managing engineer at Veryst Engineering in Needham, MA. Allyson speaks with students in her local elementary schools of Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts because she thinks that we must reach younger children to get them excited about STEM learning. “Waiting until middle school or high school to help students visualize the real-world appeal of STEM careers is just too late,” said Hartzell. “I’ve had amazing experiences working with local elementary-school students. Students become engaged when you show them real-world examples such as electron micrographs of MEMS.”Many middle schools and high schools also look to their communities to provide tutors in STEM subjects. Check with the community liaison at your local school to get started.Engage in Internship ProgramsInvolvement doesn’t stop in the K-12 grades. Seek out a local university’s internship program and hire some interns in that program to work at your company. The interns will gain valuable applied experience in your environment, and you might find young engineers who would love to join your company after they graduate. Oregon’s MECOP, an engineering-specific internship program founded on close industry-university collaboration, has been amazing for our recruitment. Some of our finest engineers were once in the MECOP program, including our engineering manager.Anything you do to get involved in inspiring coming generations of students to explore STEM — no matter how small your action — will make a positive difference in helping US students become better prepared to enter a technology-focused workforce. Through collaboration and creativity, we can help US companies keep the global electronics industry moving toward greater innovation. Jessica Gomez, CEO and co-founder of Rogue Valley Microdevices, entered the semiconductor manufacturing field in 1998 at Standard Microsystems Corporation of Hauppauge, New York where she acquired valuable knowledge in both semiconductor processing and production management. Jessica also held positions at Integrated Micromachines and Xponent Photonics prior to co-founding Rogue Valley Microdevices in 2003. As head of a technology company, Jessica recognizes the criticality of workforce development – and has become an advocate of STEM education. Rogue Valley Microdevices supports STEM initiatives for middle-school girls, a competitive robotics team for high school students, and a college internship program specifically for engineers.Expanding her energies beyond the company she co-founded, Jessica is also applying her passion for change to politics. She is currently campaigning for the Oregon State Senate.For more information, visit Rogue Valley Microdevices.