Singapore’s semiconductor sector is taking early and practical steps to widen its talent pipeline, launching a series of initiatives that reach students from primary-school age through to university while giving young people more first-hand exposure to the industry and stronger connections across the region.
The global semiconductor industry is projected to need more than one million additional skilled workers by 2030, according to Deloitte. The scale of the demand is intensifying competition for engineers and technical talent, prompting the industry in Singapore to start earlier and build clearer links between education and real workplace opportunities.
The Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) announced a package of programmes that include a primary-school engagement pilot, a three-year partnership with the National Youth Council (NYC), a semiconductor future makers camp and the association’s first regional student talent exchange.
“Building talent does not start at hiring. Semiconductors are behind almost everything we use, yet much of the industry remains unseen by young people,” said Ang Wee Seng, Executive Director of SSIA. “It is not about asking children to choose a career early. It is about widening what they can imagine for their future and giving them the exposure and connections to see where they could contribute.”
Under the three-year partnership between SSIA and the National Youth Council, the semiconductor industry will support up to 1,000 Job Taster opportunities and 300 industry mentors. Broader engagement is expected to reach more than 4,000 youths. The collaboration forms part of the SG Youth Plan and will offer micro-work experiences, job shadowing, company learning journeys, project challenges and short-term work attachments, alongside mentoring by semiconductor professionals.
David Chua, Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Council, said the partnership would give young people practical insight into the sector. “As we expand Job Taster and mentoring opportunities under the SG Youth Plan, our partnership with SSIA will give youths first-hand exposure to the semiconductor industry and connect them with professionals who can help them better understand the pathways and possibilities ahead.”
At the primary-school level, SSIA is introducing a two-year pilot for students aged 10 and above. The programme uses LEGO Education’s Computer Science and AI solution, combined with semiconductor-specific context provided by SSIA and industry partners. The aim is to make the technology more visible and tangible at an age when many children are still forming ideas about what they might pursue later.
The broader suite of initiatives also includes a semiconductor future makers camp and SSIA’s first regional student talent exchange. These programmes are designed to give older students deeper industry exposure, cross-border learning opportunities and the chance to build professional networks earlier in their education.
Together, the measures reflect a shift in how Singapore’s semiconductor community approaches talent development. Instead of focusing mainly on university graduates and mid-career professionals, the industry is investing in earlier awareness, structured work experiences and mentoring relationships that can stretch from primary school through to higher education.
Officials and industry leaders stress that the goal is not to push children into a single career path. Rather, the programmes seek to open young people’s eyes to the hidden role semiconductors play in everyday life and to show them concrete ways they can contribute if they choose to do so. By pairing classroom learning with real company visits, short attachments and guidance from working professionals, the initiatives aim to turn abstract interest into informed aspiration.
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The timing is deliberate. With global demand for semiconductor talent rising sharply and competition intensifying across Asia and beyond, Singapore is positioning itself to grow a larger and more diverse pool of future engineers, technicians and specialists. The partnership between SSIA and the National Youth Council, the primary-school pilot and the new regional exchange are early but concrete steps in that direction.
As the programmes roll out over the coming years, organisers expect thousands of young people to gain first-hand experience of the industry, form connections with mentors and gain a clearer sense of the opportunities available in one of Singapore’s most strategically important sectors.
