Vietnam sets aside $1 bln to train semiconductor workforce

Vietnam will spend VND26 trillion ($1.02 billion) by 2030 to develop a well-prepared workforce for the semiconductor industry as the country attempts to seize a “once-in-a-thousand-year” opportunity.

The state budget will provide VND17 trillion ($669.4 million), while the rest will come from businesses and other sources, according to a project presented by Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung at a national conference on Wednesday.

The project aims to integrate Vietnamese engineers deeply into the design, packaging and testing (backend) processes, and gradually master the fabrication phase.

Under the project, the government aims to train 50,000 engineers for the semiconductor industry, covering all processes. Of them, there will be 15,000 chip designers and 35,000 engineers in semiconductor-tied sectors, with at least 5,000 having artificial intelligence (AI) expertise. There will also be some 1,500 world-level lecturers.

“Training skilled manpower is a top priority for developing the semiconductor industry in Vietnam,” the project noted.

To make the project feasible, the ministry proposed issuing breakthrough policies and solutions for the industry's development as well as the training of a skilled workforce, giving Vietnam a competitive edge.

It will also need initial support from the government and resources to be mobilized through public-private partnerships for investment in scholarships, infrastructure, training, research and development centers, and incubators.

The project points out some of Vietnam’s advantages in this industry, which are high political willingness; an investment environment that is appealing to foreign companies, with over 50 foreign players present in the country; a skilled and inexpensive workforce in the electronics industry; and establishments of comprehensive strategic partnerships with most nations that have developed semiconductor industries.

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that workforce development in semiconductors should be considered a breakthrough in personnel training.

He expressed confidence that the domestic semiconductor industry would thrive thanks to the operational National Innovation Centre (NIC), high-tech centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and several IT parks.

In addition, out of about 240 universities across the country, nearly 160 are providing technology training, which will be expanded to semiconductors, and 35 educational institutions are offering majors related to semiconductors.

Highlighting partnerships with several countries, Chinh said leading players like Nvidia and Samsung have expressed interest in research, investment and development, aiming to build semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Vietnam.

Recognizing some challenges related to awareness, workforce, finance, protection policies, and competitiveness, the PM urged ministries, agencies, educational institutions, and businesses to make investments, diversify resources, and boost public-private partnerships in this field.

He asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to review and perfect the program on semiconductor workforce development and submit it to him for approval next month.

The Ministry of Information and Communications was also requested to submit the national semiconductor circuit development strategy by 2030, with a vision to 2035, for approval.

In addition, the Ministry of Education and Training needs to sketch out a plan on training 30,000 university students to serve the semiconductor chip industry over a five-year period.