Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) and JTC co-present the third edition of Electronics Industry Day (EID), with a virtual launch event on Thursday 20 January - graced by Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Supported by e2i, EDB, MINDEF and WSG, EID 2022 has been significantly scaled up with an extensive series of online and onsite career fairs, talks and visits through to March.
2. EID is one of SSIA’s four annual flagship events, convening a diverse suite of businesses and partners from the semiconductor and electronics sector, to showcase the industry’s vibrancy and resilience. It also creates touchpoints for talents and mid-career switchers to connect with internship and career opportunities. Supported by over ten academic institutions and almost 40 industry partners, the launch and fringe activities are slated to attract more than 7,000 participants over the three-month period.
3. Powered by sustained demand for emerging technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and more, positive outlook for the semiconductor industry is not only expected to persist, but to reach US$1 trillion by early 2030s. Singapore’s diverse semiconductor ecosystem also puts us in a position aligned with global trends. With our sector contributing 82% of Singapore’s electronics manufacturing output and 7% of GDP, semiconductor takes the lead as the fastest growing segment of the electronics industry.
Growing and developing our workforce
4. While approximately 2000 more jobs are expected to be created in the next three to five years, ongoing talent crunch continues to be a challenge the industry tackles together. Aligned to Singapore’s Manufacturing 2030 vision, SSIA, JTC, key industry partners, companies, and schools are coming together to raise awareness of the manufacturing sector through talent attraction programmes, ushered by EID. This will support the local manufacturing ecosystem and attract more talents to the manufacturing sector.
5. Mr Ang Wee Seng, Executive Director of SSIA, said, “We have been working with academic institutions to future-proof our industry, by propagating interest and growing talent stream from as young as pre-tertiary stage. Existing talents are also not forgotten as grooming the next generation of leaders is paramount, while retaining the experienced with up-skilling, re-training and opportunities for mid-career switches. EID is our intended touchpoint for students, graduates and jobseekers with the industry that can be their career of choice. This year’s EID also presents a good mix of industry brand names, representing the value chain and our robust local ecosystem.”
6. Talent-centric initiatives by the association include:
a. Semiconductor and Electronics Job Portal – Launched in Q4 2021, the portal is designed with both jobseekers and employers in mind, promising better job matching for this industry through an Electronics Placement Accelerator experience.
b. Career Conversion Programmes (CCP) – Formerly known as Professional Conversion Programmes, this initiative in collaboration with WSG supports mid-career jobseekers who are transitioning into new roles within our sector.
c. Singapore Semiconductor Leadership Accelerator (SSLA) Programme – Supported by EDB, more than 100 senior leaders have participated in multiple editions since 2017, with the largest participation in 2021 at 30 leaders.
d. SSIA Leadership in Engineering Programme – Complementing the SSLA Programme, this new initiative was introduced in 2021 to prime the next generation of young, upcoming leaders.
e. Together with ITE, SSIA has introduced programmes such as the Work Study Diploma, concurrently helping companies address their manpower shortages while allowing students to kickstart their career in the industry.
7. These initiatives continue to be core pillars supporting SSIA’s workstream in workforce development.
Building Ahead of Demand
8. Beyond supporting SSIA and the industry on talent attraction efforts, JTC has developed four Wafer Fab Parks (WFPs) totalling 391 hectares to support the sector’s manufacturing operations that is fuelled by strong chip demand in the market. Today, it has anchored 14 global semiconductor firms that produce some of the most advanced chips for electronics applications and devices.
9. To support new growth areas of semiconductor companies, JTC also planned ahead to build specialised development that will cater to the demand for ready-built space by the sector. On track to be completed this year, JTC’s new semiconSpace at Tampines Wafer Fab Park will feature vibration-controlled space with specifications to meet stringent requirements for semiconductor operations. At WFPs, JTC is rolling out a series of physical enhancements to create a more attractive and vibrant environment for companies and talent alike.
10. Mr Cheong Wee Lee, Director, Biomedical & Electronics Cluster, JTC, said, “Riding on the supercycle that the semiconductor industry is experiencing, we are seeing more semiconductor companies in the entire value chain accelerating capacity expansions and embarking on new spinoffs to meet growing market demands. Amid the strong demand and interest from the industry, we are stepping up efforts to attract more investment and talent to JTC’s Wafer Fab Parks, as the centrepiece of Singapore’s efforts to anchor high value-add advanced manufacturing activities in this high-growth sector.”
