Gwangju City and Jeonnam Province Join Forces to Secure Specialized Workforce for Semiconductor Industry's Long-standing Challenge

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeonnam Province have joined forces to find ways to secure specialized personnel, a long-standing issue in the semiconductor industry.

On the 25th, according to Gwangju City and Jeonnam Province, the two local governments jointly held a research service report meeting to secure mid- to long-term semiconductor specialists.

Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeonnam Province jointly held the "Gwangju-Jeonnam Semiconductor Talent Development Research Service Report Meeting" on the 25th at the large conference room on the first floor of the Jeonnam National University Headquarters to discuss timely supply measures for the workforce needed in the semiconductor industry.
[Photo by Gwangju City]

Securing manpower has been a long-standing issue in the domestic semiconductor industry, and as the labor shortage has accumulated over recent years, drastic measures are needed to nurture semiconductor talent.

The regional semiconductor industry, including Amkor Technology Korea, the world's second-largest packaging company, is also complaining about the labor shortage.

With the Yoon Seok-yeol administration continuously emphasizing the semiconductor industry as a core strategic industry, expectations are growing that the chronic labor shortage will also improve.

This research service includes ▲analysis of the current semiconductor industry manpower supply and demand ▲analysis of conditions and constraints on semiconductor industry manpower supply and demand ▲derivation of specialized fields for nurturing semiconductor talent in Gwangju and Jeonnam and strategy establishment, and plans to use it as mid- to long-term manpower supply and demand response data.

At the report meeting, the Chairman of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Semiconductor Talent Nurturing Committee (Jeongsungtaek, President of Chonnam National University), Gwangju City, Jeonnam Province, both local education offices, as well as various educational institutions including Gwangju University, Nambu University, Dongshin University, Mokpo National University, Suncheon National University, Chosun University, Honam University, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Korea Energy Engineering University, Chosun Polytechnic University, and Gwangju Polytechnic College gathered to discuss timely supply measures for the manpower needed by the semiconductor industry.

Centered on the Gwangju-Jeonnam Semiconductor Talent Nurturing Committee launched on the 6th of last month, exchanges and cooperation among local governments, educational institutions, and semiconductor companies are being activated, and preparations are underway for various national public projects such as semiconductor specialized universities (graduate schools), regional joint research institutes, talent nurturing boot camps, and equipment support.

Meanwhile, with the deadline for the designation application for the semiconductor specialized complex announced as the 27th of next month, both Gwangju and Jeonnam are accelerating the preparation of attraction proposals and the attraction of leading companies.

Jeongsungtaek, Chairman of the Talent Nurturing Committee, said, “Only by pooling all our efforts in Gwangju and Jeonnam to solve the semiconductor industry's long-standing labor shortage can we succeed in the semiconductor specialized complex,” adding, “We will devote ourselves more to nurturing specialized personnel needed for the semiconductor industry and do our best for the development of the national industry and local community.”