A talent shortage is challenging South Korea's chipmaking industry. Chipmakers including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have urged the country's new government to pay attention to the issue that could dent their future competitiveness.

With the US, Japan and EU countries stepping up efforts to boost their respective semiconductor industry, Korean chipmakers are striving for government support to foster talent through measures, such as initiatives and subsidies encouraging local universities to grow their semiconductor-related departments, set up talent training programs and offer scholarships for students majoring in related studies, local media reports have said.

South Korea is already where some of the world's top chipmakers operate their fabs. The well-established chipmaking industry has to continue growing its talent pool every year to maintain and enhance its competitive edge.

Samsung and SK Hynix have both already been working with local institutes and universities to train students majoring in semiconductor-related studies by offering scholarships and initiating training programs at school. Nevertheless, the efforts remain insufficient to overcome talent shortages facing them, the reports noted.

SK Hynix has recently formed a partnership with Hanyang University, another local school in South Korea to facilitate training courses for the memory chip vendor.

Besides, Samsung and SK Hynix are finding themselves losing talent to their fellow international peers, the reports said. The Korea Times quoted industry watchers as saying in a recent report that Samsung, SK Hynix and other Korean chipmakers have moved to raise salaries to retain talent.

By: DocMemory
Copyright © 2023 CST, Inc. All Rights Reserved