SCALE in Focus: News and Impact

Q: Section 9902 requires a covered entity to have secured commitments from regional educational and training entities and institutions of higher learning to provide workforce training to be eligible for funding. Looking at the semiconductor sector broadly, what are the greatest workforce development needs, and how can Federal financial assistance meet those needs? What specific types of workforce training programs would be the most beneficial to companies in these sectors? What existing workforce training programs have proven effective and should be expanded, including international exchanges or best practices? How could a program best ensure that workforce training and development meet critical national needs?

A: “Drastically increasing the pipeline of diverse and underrepresented minorities in U.S. STEM students interested in semiconductor fields STEM education programs should be rigorously evaluated, and funding should be allocated to scale up successful models for broader implementation. Several government-funded programs, and industry funded programs, are available that seek to strengthen the pipeline of U.S. STEM talent, and these are ripe for larger investments to expand their impact. For example, the Department of Defense’s Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) program is a public-private-academic partnership that supports university engineering departments and matches participating students with private sector employers. While the program first received seed funding from DOD’s Trusted & Assured Microelectronics in FY 2019, the 2021 report by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) recommended fully funding the production phase of SCALE at $24.7 million per each of its five technical verticals over five years.”

Q: What strategies have been most effective in addressing the shortages? Which states or countries have created the most effective strategies for different types of workforce needs to build, equip, and run semiconductor manufacturing and R&D facilities? What industry or other credentials do employers use, or could use, to train and hire workers to fill needed positions? To what extent do employers in the semiconductor sector partner with government institutions such as local workforce boards, economic development organizations, or Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers, or international partners to establish training and/or skill certification programs? To what extent do employers in the semiconductor sector partner with other employers to create joint training programs?

A: “There are several programs across the country that have been successful in addressing these shortages. As one example, the Department of Defense’s Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) program is a public-private-academic partnership that supports university engineering departments and matches participating students with private sector employers. This program has seen early success in building a STEM workforce in each of its five technical verticals at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.”

Q: What types of apprenticeship programs or existing partnerships involving workforce development issues in the semiconductor sector should the Department be aware of?

A: “…To adequately address the full scope of the challenge the Department should expeditiously work with its interagency partners to raise awareness for and leverage existing industry and government-sponsored semiconductor public-private workforce partnerships. This exercise will ensure that any proposed initiatives are complementary and additive to the realized value of existing programs with a history of excellence. For instance, the Department of Defense sponsors the Scalable Asymmetric Life Cycle Engagement (SCALE) program, an immersive semiconductor university initiative that leverages government and industry internships with aligned curricula, research, and mentoring. Purdue University coordinates the SCALE initiative, alongside fifteen universities and more than twelve national labs and industry partners. The program equips highly motivated STEM undergraduate and graduate students with specialized and differentiated skills in sought after semiconductor technology areas including radiation hardening, heterogenous integration and advanced packaging, system-on-a-chip, secure supply chains, and embedded security systems. If resourced sufficiently, the SCALE model can “be scaled” to support more students, while addressing additional topics of strategic technical interest to both government and industry.”

SCALE Purdue University as the lead institution of a public-private-academic partnership consortium awarded by the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) titled “Radiation-Hard Microelectronics Workforce Development Consortium”. The OSD Cornerstone OTA is designed across both defense-specific and crosscutting sectors to optimize its approach for effective and efficient public-private partnerships. Cornerstone will help to ensure the industrial base is a healthy and resilient foundation establishing an unmatched twenty-first century National Security Innovation. The United States now faces a severe shortage of sufficiently trained personnel to maintain our national defense, particularly in advanced areas of secure and trusted microelectronics that include radiation-hardening, heterogeneous integration, supply chain, embedded systems, and systems-on-a-chip. The shortage has many causes, including the aging defense workforce, competition from high-paying technology industry employers, a nearly two-decade long lack of priority in strategic systems investment, and a low number of US citizens pursuing STEM degrees. The proposal addresses a shortage of a workforce through education, training, and recruiting by creating a sustainable microelectronics public-private-academic partnership (PPAP) consortium. Sandia is included as a core partner for the PPAP.

The Purdue and Georgia Tech Sandia Academic Alliance team in partnership with MESA (Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications) will play a central role as part of the PPAP to design and develop an innovative workforce prototype model for the radiation-hardened microelectronics and heterogeneous integration/advanced packaging technology area that includes formal academic education and continuing education elements thorough internship, fellowships, and experiential learning. Students often find a disconnect between their classes and the challenges they pursue through their research and internships. Sandia will aid in developing the prototype model and offer recruited students an opportunity to study carefully aligned curricula motivated by the relevant problems and mentored by R&D leaders in the field. Curricula will be grounded in technical fundamentals, while encompassing specialized modules, electives, and other exposures (such as research, internships, and specialty area bootcamps) that will be developed in response to the workforce needs. Purdue will work with PPAP partners Draper and Sandia (as well as future partners) to coordinate a partnership-wide clearinghouse for internships in the defense microelectronics sector (both government and defense industry) and provide best-practice guidance for universities to prepare students for participation.

The recent shortage and explosion in the demand for chips created by the pandemic and supply chain issues is vital for any nation security. A larger, agile, and relevant U.S-based microelectronics workforce with the expertise to design and manufacture semiconductors is a high priority and critical need. Challenges and opportunities related to workforce development for microelectronics and advance packaging is a topic that will require multi-prong approach by U.S government, industry, and academia. To re-shore the semiconductor industry will require talent at all skill levels: Associate to Ph.D. There is an alarming trend in the U.S. and a growing shortfall particularly in the defense sector further heightened by an aging workforce and added need for U.S citizenship requirement. The national microelectronics and advanced packaging ecosystem can be strengthened by matching specific types of jobs available with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) the students at all levels will need. The NIST-led National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Framework (NICE) provides a model for this. The DoD SCALE program is similar for microelectronics where DoD agencies determine the KSAs needed for specific DoD jobs in high priority areas, including radiation-hardened electronics, heterogeneous integration, system on chip, embedded systems, and supply chains. In both NICE and SCALE, the KSAs are intended to drive curriculum and integrated program development to link students to prospective employers. There are multiple recommendation and suggestions required of all stakeholders.

• University must attract more students in microelectronics and create degree programs across the supply chain

• New partnership models across academia, industry and government are needed to craft and generate the KSA of this new workforce.

• Hands-on training, online learning, and new live-n-learn approaches need to replace the traditional textbook and lab models.

• Working with HBCUs and MSIs, which are an untapped cohort of U.S. citizens and are underrepresented in STEM relative. Tailored and built-in-mentorship models could help “win the hearts and minds” of a group of emerging professionals for their career choices.

• New approach and the requisite need for substantial funding from government agencies will be needed to meet the rapid growth and trajectory of required trained microelectronics workforce. There need to be the commitment to microelectronics education.

• Universities should work with industry and community colleges to find best practices and the best ways to partner to increase the supply of skilled technicians.

• Industry, academia, and government will have to address the challenge together. There must be serious discussion about different models, opportunities, and resources that can be brought to bear in the short and long term. A strategy for stronger industry and national laboratory engagement in workforce development should be developed.

Q: Describe anticipated needs in education and workforce development, including retraining and upskilling, in the semiconductor packaging area. How adequate is it currently, and what are future expectations of need? How should the workforce training pipeline be developed? [Q8 Draper Response] The NAPMP and NSTC are well suited to collaborate closely with colleges and universities to develop skills that align with the roadmaps developed. To best engage the future workforce, the connection to industry and application should be made clear within the universities. Industry tools and best practices should be leveraged in labs and classrooms. Industry members from business development and marketing should provide the “high level” picture and need to students interested in the critical areas of study. Why is this interesting to them?

A: “Application where these designs are used should be shared, where possible. The capabilities and skill sets should be made real, interesting, and applicable. Incentives may be needed to develop these connections, and there is benefit to industry as well. Industry is leading AP developments, but multi-disciplinary connections made at the university level may solve industry level challenges. The DOD’s Office of Research and Engineering, Trusted and Assured Microelectronics workforce SCALE program (Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement) is an example of a nation-wide focused microelectronics workforce program. SCALE brings a university consortium of about 20 universities in coordination with DOD labs, not-for-profit research institutions and industry to provide unique courses, mentoring, internship matching and targeted research projects for U.S. citizen college students interested in three microelectronics specialty areas: radiation-hardening, heterogeneous integration/advanced packaging, and system on a chip. SCALE is focused on students seeking bachelor, Masters and PhD level degrees and incorporates industry sponsored research programs into the academic programs.”

Q: What strategies have been most effective in addressing the shortages? Which states or countries have created the most effective strategies for different types of workforce needs to build, equip, and run semiconductor manufacturing and R&D facilities? What industry or other credentials do employers use, or could use, to train and hire workers to fill needed positions? To what extent do employers in the semiconductor sector partner with government institutions such as local workforce boards, economic development organizations, or Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers, or international partners to establish training and/or skill certification programs? To what extent do employers in the semiconductor sector partner with other employers to create joint training programs?

A: “….For CC and undergraduate programs: In computer science, companies frequently identify students as prospective employees during their first year of undergraduate study and bring them into the companies as interns, year after year. This has enabled these companies to attract and retain outstanding talent. As with the SCALE program, attracting talented, interested students to microelectronics as soon as possible should become the norm. This will require a scale of long-term commitment and resources from the federal government and the DIB that have never been allocated to this before….”

Existing Indiana facilities and capabilities cross cutting microelectronics innovation and workforce development are ideally suited to be leveraged by Department of Commerce coordination and investment. Specific opportunities include:

2.1.Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) SCALE is a Public-Private-Academic Partnership coordinated by Purdue University on behalf of the Department of Defense. Together with over a dozen university partners across the country, SCALE aims to develop a highly skilled domestic microelectronics workforce and to motivate talented STEM undergraduate and graduate students to embrace a career pathway in the Federal Government that will involve advancing critical semiconductor technology. In doing so, these students and their research will further develop the domestic semiconductor industrial base to meet national security needs for the future by ensuring U.S. leadership in various technical areas. The key programmatic elements for SCALE students include tailored microelectronics modules taught by high-quality faculty, targeted, cutting-edge, and collaborative research projects, and guaranteed internship opportunities with various public and private partners.

Trainee undergraduates receive a defense microelectronics fellowship to support their research projects. Each term in the program (Spring, Summer, and Fall) receives approximately $3,000- $5,000. Graduate students receive monthly stipends and tuition remission. Typical packages will have a market value of approximately $50,000 / year. The current scope of SCALE allows for up to 200 students, of whom the vast majority are undergraduates. However, it doesn’t support enough graduate students, faculty, and specialized research facilities to address the fuller range of workforce needs. The number of students graduating per year is well under the number of new hires needed in this area.

Under the SCALE umbrella, NSWC Crane is teaming up with state academic institutions Indiana University, The University of Notre Dame, and Purdue University to develop Trusted Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and workforce development. This initiative launched in June 2021 and is intended to scale over several years. The Trusted AI SCALE program combines research and workforce development based on the unique needs of the Department of Defense (DoD) based on recommendations from the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). The Trusted AI consortium based on the SCALE model is intended to produce the next generation of Trusted AI workforce pipeline – a ready and flexible workforce ready to work for the DoD, DIB, or government. It is also intended to develop a Validation and Verification (V&V)/T&E framework to assess the level of trust in AI/machine learning (ML)-enabled solutions.

The Embedded Systems/Trusted AI initiative is part of the SCALE workforce development program funded by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering OUSD(R&E)’s Trusted & Assured Microelectronics (T&AM) program. The SCALE model has key aspects of immersive research and development (R&D) alongside student training, consortium framework that rapidly scales and replicates, and educational pathways aligning curriculum, research, and internships. The Trusted AI initiative is one of five technical verticals of the SCALE model, each with its own consortium of academic institutions and targeted level of education: Radiation Effects (often referred to as Rad-Hard), Advanced Packaging, System on a Chip (SoC) Design, Supply Chain, and Embedded Systems/Trusted AI.

Leveraging the successful SCALE program, an expansion in the following areas through Department of Commerce support could:

• Stand up a private-public-academic partnership (PPAP) centered around a university consortium focused on microelectronics core technologies.

• Development of a research investment pool through co-funding from private industry and DoD and the establishment of a process for setting research priorities and objectives. Research funded through this pool would enable workforce development and recruitment by focusing on national security research issues.

• Identify U.S. students and sponsor their clearances in collaboration with local or regional DoD facilities with microelectronics workforce needs. Funds are required to staff security personnel at universities to support this aspect of the PPAP.

• Develop standard curriculum, certifications, and continuous learning modules to address DoD unique needs distributed throughout the PPAP (universities and government labs).

• Expand recruitment and training to K-12 and community colleges.

• Develop incentive programs to encourage students to enter these specific microelectronics related career tracks, focusing on national security challenges.

• Sustained funding of faculty in core areas and as core clusters.

• Establishment of a committed Minority Serving Institute (MSI) program to capture nontraditional/underrepresented students.

Trusted AI SCALE Program https://research.nd.edu/news/nswc-crane-iu-notre-dame-and-purdue-team-up-to-provide-trusted-aiworkforce-development-and-research/

The Trusted Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) program brings together the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division , Indiana University, the University of Notre Dame, and Purdue University to develop Trusted AI research and workforce development. The program combines research and workforce development based on the unique needs of the Department of Defense based on recommendations from the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). The consortium based is intended to produce the next generation of Trusted AI workforce – a ready and flexible workforce ready for defense careers and government service. It is also intended to develop a validation and verification framework to assess the level of trust in AI/machine learning solutions

Q: Section 9902 requires a covered entity to have secured commitments from regional educational and training entities and institutions of higher learning to provide workforce training to be eligible for funding. Looking at the semiconductor sector broadly, what are the greatest workforce development needs, and how can Federal financial assistance meet those needs? What specific types of workforce training programs would be the most beneficial to companies in these sectors? What existing workforce training programs have proven effective and should be expanded, including international exchanges or best practices? How could a program best ensure that workforce training and development meet critical national needs?

A: “There are shortages across all fields in our industry, including for device/design/process engineers, technicians, operators and other advanced manufacturing roles. Examples of programs that have proven fruitful include the Defense Department’s SCALE workforce program, SEMI workforce and apprenticeship initiatives, Semiconductor Research Corporation funding for precompetitive research in partnership with NSF, NIST, and DARPA, and Federal funds supporting R&D work at universities.

Support for initiatives at 4 year university institutions is important for certain roles, but a particular focus should be given to the role of community and junior colleges that offer certifications and 2 year programs. Such programs are well placed, for example, to support the training of badly needed fab/factory technicians. There is also a need for strong engagement at the high school level. Exposing high school students to the semiconductor industry would be beneficial on a number of levels, including the creation of a pipeline for associate (operator) positions for which a high school diploma can be a suitable qualification.

See also the response to Question 11, above, and the response to Question 5 of the portion of the RFI dealing with the Semiconductor Workforce.”

Q: Section 9902 requires a covered entity to have secured commitments from regional educational and training entities and institutions of higher learning to provide workforce training to be eligible for funding. Looking at the semiconductor sector broadly, what are the greatest workforce development needs, and how can Federal financial assistance meet those needs? What specific types of workforce training programs would be the most beneficial to companies in these sectors? What existing workforce training programs have proven effective and should be expanded, including international exchanges or best practices? How could a program best ensure that workforce training and development meet critical national needs?

A: “Drastically increasing the pipeline of diverse and underrepresented minorities in U.S. STEM students interested in semiconductor fields STEM education programs should be rigorously evaluated, and funding should be allocated to scale up successful models for broader implementation. While several government and industry funded programs are already available that seek to strengthen the pipeline of U.S. STEM talent, these programs are ripe for larger investments to expand their impact. For example, the Department of Defense’s Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) program is a public-private-academic partnership that supports university engineering departments and matches participating students with private sector employers. While the program first received seed funding from DOD’s Trusted & Assured Microelectronics in FY 2019, the 2021 report by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) recommended fully funding the production phase of SCALE at $24.7 million per each of its five technical verticals over five years.”

Q: What strategies have been most effective in addressing the shortages? Which states or countries have created the most effective strategies for different types of workforce needs to build, equip, and run semiconductor manufacturing and R&D facilities? What industry or other credentials do employers use, or could use, to train and hire workers to fill needed positions? To what extent do employers in the semiconductor sector partner with government institutions such as local workforce boards, economic development organizations, or Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers, or international partners to establish training and/or skill certification programs? To what extent do employers in the semiconductor sector partner with other employers to create joint training programs?

A: “The strategies that have been most effective for Onto are the broadening of our search to find qualified candidates. For our engineering hiring, the most important qualification is the engineering degree as it provides the fundamental building blocks for doing the job. STEM education programs should be rigorously evaluated, and funding should be allocated to scale up successful models for broader implementation. While several government and industry funded programs are available that seek to strengthen the pipeline of U.S. STEM talent, these are ripe for larger investments to expand their impact. For example, the Department of Defense’s Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) program is a public-private academic partnership that supports university engineering departments and matches participating students with private sector employers. While the program first received seed funding from DOD’s Trusted & Assured Microelectronics in FY 2019, the 2021 report by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) recommended fully funding the production phase of SCALE at $24.7 million per each of its five technical verticals over five years.”

Q: Are there opportunities to design the semiconductor incentive program to ensure that worker skills shortages do not hinder companies from expanding operations?

A: “Onto believes that there are opportunities to design the semiconductor incentive program to ensure that worker shortages do not hinder companies from expanding operations. One option is to allow foreign nationals that are trained in the U.S. university system to stay in the U.S. and get an H1-B visa to work in a qualified semiconductor job. Another option is to help companies cover the costs of training new employees through tax credits or other mechanisms. Finally, the government can take this opportunity to evaluate STEM education programs, and funding should be allocated to scale up successful models for broader implementation. While several government and industry funded programs are available that seek to strengthen the pipeline of U.S. STEM talent, these are ripe for larger investments to expand their impact. For example, the Department of Defense’s Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) program is a public-private-academic partnership that supports university engineering departments and matches participating students with private sector employers. While the program first received seed funding from DOD’s Trusted & Assured Microelectronics in FY 2019, the 2021 report by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) recommended fully funding the production phase of SCALE at $24.7 million per each of its five technical verticals over five years.”

Q: What types of apprenticeship programs or existing partnerships involving workforce development issues in the semiconductor sector should the Department be aware of? What role can unionized labor play in worker training and workforce development, including for economically disadvantaged individuals?

A: “In addition to SkyWater’s specific apprenticeship programs and partnerships referenced above, the Scalable Asymmetric Life Cycle Engagement (SCALE) is a world class public-private-academic partnership coordinated by Purdue University and sponsored by the Department of Defense. Together with more than twelve university partners spanning the nation, SCALE aims to develop a highly skilled domestic microelectronics workforce, and to motivate talented STEM undergraduate and graduate students to embrace a career pathway semiconductor fields.

The SCALE program was developed to be an immersive educational/training program that combines government/defense/semiconductor industrial base internships with targeted and continuous research opportunities and mentoring. Via a successful consortium-based model, SCALE has achieved national reach to universities in specific technical areas of great need to advancing core semiconductor needs, including in radiation hardened electronics and advanced packaging.

The SCALE program can serve as a model as the federal government works with industry and the academic community to address the domestic skills gap. See SCALE map below demonstrating the comprehensive network established to support the program..”

Q: Section 9902 requires a covered entity to have secured commitments from regional educational and training entities and institutions of higher learning to provide workforce training to be eligible for funding. Looking at the semiconductor sector broadly, what are the greatest workforce development needs, and how can Federal financial assistance meet those needs? What specific types of workforce training programs would be the most beneficial to companies in these sectors? What existing workforce training programs have proven effective and should be expanded, including international exchanges or best practices? How could a program best ensure that workforce training and development meet critical national needs?

A: “Semiconductor skill sets need a focused training and educational pathway starting at the first year of college with an opportunity for funded graduate work that would culminates in consortium/industry participation, work, and leadership. Programs like the “bridge to fab” pathways should follow the lead of programs like Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) where undergraduate and graduate students alike are trained in an interdisciplinary DoD environment that encompasses both Defense contractor needs and university research development. Like the GI Bill/military service model – education should be guaranteed at free or highly reduced prices, guaranteed healthcare, and retirement programs for participants who complete the program.”

Responses for Questions related the Semiconductor Workforce

SK hynix welcomes the Department of Commerce’s efforts to develop and support a vibrant semiconductor workforce in the United States. Occupational and skills shortages are a prevailing issue for the global industry, and there is currently no “one size fits all” program to address these challenges in the United States. The full extent of these challenges in the United States is not likely to be fully appreciated until major construction projects are underway, and efforts are made to ramp up large-scale R&D and manufacturing facilities. The overall labor shortages that are apparent in the U.S. economy are also likely to have an impact on the ability of the semiconductor industry to adequately meet its workforce requirements.

SK hynix has previously operated a U.S. fabrication facility in Oregon, and continues to maintain a highly skilled R&D workforce in the United States, and we therefore have first-hand experience related to workforce challenges. These can include the challenges associated with recruiting and retaining highly skilled engineers, maintaining an efficient and reliable workforce to operate large fabrication facilities operating 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, and having specialized services providers that can maintain highly advanced machinery. For many of these challenges (as Will Hunt from CSET argued recently), an increased ability to utilize international visas would offer flexibility for semiconductor companies to enhance and augment its U.S. workforce.

Although companies play a significant role in resolving these issues, no single company on its own is able to completely address systematic workforce challenges facing the industry. SK hynix supports industry-wide efforts, including the American Semiconductor Academy (supported by SEMI, leading U.S. universities, and industry partners like SK hynix), to develop a pathway to the semiconductor ecosystem with an approachable curriculum designed to provide training and certifications for the next generation semiconductor workforce. We also applaud the goals and efforts of U.S. government-led initiatives, including the Department of Defense Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) Microelectronics Workforce program, which targets specific critical technical areas and partners with leading U.S. universities to develop the next generation semiconductor workforce.

For semiconductor technician roles (e.g., hardware and process), many companies form direct partnerships with local governments and community colleges to create a curriculum preparing students for a career in the industry which is often accompanied by an apprenticeship followed by full time employment. The SEMI Foundation recently designed a consortium approach for this type of model to help attract, train, and place candidates in apprenticeship programs with semi companies.

For R&D roles, several successful examples exist. One of note is a partnership between the aerospace industry with the state of California and El Camino Community College. Through El Camino College and industry collaboration, students are afforded real, practical apprentice experience in the aerospace industry in the job domains of tool technology, electronics and computer hardware, and engineering technology. Most of the apprenticeships result in full time employment opportunities for student participants. This type of model could be leveraged as a benchmark in the semiconductor industry for engineering jobs. These types of partnerships will need to be accelerated given the intense talent needs of the industry. Applied Materials is supportive of many forms of partnerships ranging from consortia to direct company and academic institution partnerships.

Another example is The Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement Microelectronics Workforce Development program (SCALE), a multi-university public-private-academic partnership that is focused on addressing specific challenges related to microelectronics workforce development to support Department of Defense modernization initiatives and the defense industry.

Existing models such as these listed above can be leveraged and extended to address the broader microelectronics workforce development needs of industry.