Co-design Of an Advanced Educational Program To Support The Emerging And Future Eco-system Of Semiconductor Manufacturing And Design In The UK

Building awareness of the semiconductor industry and filling key gaps in the workforce is a critical part of the UK's knowledge economy strategy. To move the needle, it is necessary to intervene at every stage of the talent pipeline -- from schools, through universities, all the way to continuous professional development for experienced engineers/career switchers.

Both scale and depth matter. King's College London (KCL) and Arm are world-leading UK academic and semiconductor industry players respectively. By working in partnership together with the UK Electronic Skills Foundation (UKESF), KCL will create a set of coherent learning pathways, by leveraging existing resources and producing new ones, which will:

* Draw young people in from diverse backgrounds who haven't previously considered a semiconductor-related career in the UK
* Provide education and training to undergraduates and early career professionals studying/working in adjacent subject areas, to encourage career development/switching
* Add post-graduate semiconductor specific skills and knowledge to those already committed to an engineering track to ensure their long-term involvement in the industry

The programme will take a broad view, covering fundamental science knowledge, manufacturing and applications, informed by the visions, needs and recruiting requirements of industry partners (co-ordinated by UKESF). The Holistic Open-Stop Semiconductor Curriculum (HOSC) will include material, IC design, simulation, package, testing, electronic circuit/system, application, management and industry-academia joint individual/group projects.

Multiple entry points will be available, encompassing both undergraduates and postgraduates, industrial graduate engineers via induction courses, and re-skilling for more established engineers. The curriculum will be modular in nature including educational kits, assessments and dedicated mentoring and support will be available for Black, Women, Asian and minority ethnic learners. Industry partners will be able to access training to meet their own skills and productivity gaps.

Semiconductor industry awareness-raising will also be an explicit aim. KCL will facilitate a series of engagement workshops in which industry partners will outline their view of contemporary skills requirements, enabling networking and the exchange of ideas as well as a platform for continuous professional development and recruitment.

By addressing the full gamut of needs with broad and deep interventions and exploiting the network effects of bringing the best of academia and industry together, the programme will make a meaningful contribution to the national supply of talent, accelerate time to market and draw more people. There will be a special focus on schools' outreach, equality diversity and inclusion in practice, communication and delivery so that everyone can take part.