STUDENTS PARENTS STAGGERS : CHIPS NOTES PRECIS

 

'' We have a generation of students whose parents have never once stepped foot in an advanced manufacturing factory,'' said Scott Spurgeon, the center's superintendent.

''Their concept of that is still much like the mom-and-pop manufacturing where you show up every day and come out with dirty clothes and dirty hands.''

TSMC has competition for labor in Arizona. Other companies in the area are looking for skilled workers in the race to increase production. Intel, the American chip giant, is expanding the chip factory in the area.

In response, nearby colleges and universities have ramped up their instruction in the fields like electrical engineering.

TSMC has collaborated with community colleges and universities through apprenticeships, internships, research projects and career fairs.

At Arizona State University, which has emerged as a major source of workers at TSMC funds research projects for students making it easier to assess and recruit future workers, said Zachary Holman, vice dean of the university's Fulton School of Engineering.

Some colleges are even building their own clean rooms, the cavernous and spotless work areas at the heart of semiconductor factories.

The idea is to acclimate students to operating in the highly controlled environments, where technicians wear clean suits and gloves.

The World Students Society thanks John Liu.