By DayakDaily Team
KOTA SAMARAHAN, Sept 2: A pioneering group of 14 trainees have completed their training in the Semiconductor Mastery Programme, specifically in Analog Integrated Circuit (IC) Design and IC Test Solution Development Engineering, marking the first of its kind in Sarawak.
The first cohort of the Semiconductor Mastery Programme, which began on Feb 14 this year, was sponsored by Sarawak’s Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development (MEITD) and facilitated by Sarawak Microelectronics Design (SMD) Semiconductor Sdn Bhd in partnership with Belgium company Melexis and Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS).
MEITD Minister Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, who is also the SMD chairman, said that all the trainees will be recruited by either SMD or Melexis, underscoring SMD’s steadfast commitment to producing 500 semiconductor professionals by 2030.
“I would like to commend SMD for their visionary leadership in initiating talent development along the front end of the semiconductor value chain in collaboration with Melexis and CENTEXS.
“Your efforts have laid a strong foundation for the future of the semiconductor industry in Sarawak, and I am confident that this initiative will continue to bear fruit in the years to come,” he said at the SMD’s First Cohort of Semiconductor Mastery Programme Graduation Ceremony held at SMD Academy, La Promenade, here today.
Sagah also urged other government-linked companies (GLCs) to emulate the exemplary efforts of SMD to design and implement talent development programs that cater specifically to the unique needs of Sarawak’s industries.
He also noted that SMD is organising the SMD Make-A-Thon Challenge in Miri, Sibu, and Kuching to promote the semiconductor industry among students.
Meanwhile, SMD chief executive officer (CEO) Shariman Jamil announced that 16 new trainees from institutions such as Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Universiti Malaya (UM), and Xiamen University, have been chosen from a pool of 124 local applicants and 65 outside Malaysia applicants for the second cohort, which is set to begin on September 3, 2024.
According to Shariman, the training in IC design and IC testing demands graduates with a solid background in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and a foundation and understanding of IC design, an area where institutions of higher learning need further development.
This gap in knowledge, he said, highlights the need for focused educational efforts to better equip graduates for the demands of the semiconductor industry.
“With these challenges in mind, SMD Semiconductor has forged a collaborative partnership with Swinburne University to enhance our talent development efforts further.
“Through the joint master’s degree programme, we aim to provide advanced education and specialised training opportunities to graduates or individuals seeking to deepen their expertise in semiconductor technology.
“This partnership not only supplements the talent pipeline but also strengthens ties between industry and academia, fostering innovation and driving progress in the semiconductor sector,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
