A new consortium of 18 partners, has won up to €4 million in funding to develop the European Chips Skills Academy and address the skills shortage in Europe.
The European Chips Skills Academy is a four year initiative from the European Commission in the frame of the Erasmus+ Programme. Led by SEMI Europe, the initiative aims at tackling the skills and talent shortages in Europe’s electronics industry and propel its long-term growth. The academy will deliver targeted European-wide training in key microelectronics fields such as automotive and additive manufacturing.
The initiative is backed by research organisations, vocational and education training providers, certification agencies and industry stakeholders from 12 different European countries. AENEAS is part of the partners alongside with ANCCP, BME, DECISION Etudes & Conseil, TU Dresden, TU Graz, Infineon, CIMEA, IAL-FVG, imec, Knolyx, Melexis, Okmetic, PTVT, SEMI Europe (Leader), Silicon Saxony, VSB and Tyndall.
The initiave builds on the results of the Microelectronics Training, Industry and Skills (METIS) project closing in October 2022 and aiming at fostering microelectronics industry collaboration with key education, training and certification providers to address the skills shortage and European competitiveness. It will implement the Pact for Skills for microelectronics becoming its educational and traning arm and underpin the implementation of the EU Chips Act.
The European Chips Skills 2030 Academy is first and foremost an industry university network. It will provide scholarships, apprenticeships, facilitate laboratory access, vocational as well as online training, all being part of a European wide network of Universities and trainings centers. It will provide tailored microelectronics upskilling and reskilling programs on several, accredited levels. The activities will further include raising of interest for the sector by a European wide image campaign on how semiconductors contribute to a better life and a better planet, with a clear focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in all programmes.
More about the initiave in SEMI press release here.
AENEAS drive for skills development in Europe
A skilled workforce is vital to Europe’s future competitiveness. So much so, the EU has designated 2023 the European Year of Skills. AENEAS supports the drive to develop skills in the nano- and microelectronics industry. It is a key theme in AENEAS strategic thinking and industry events. At EFECS 2022 conference in November 2022 (a conference co-organised with EPoSS and Inside), a panel session featuring leaders from industry, research and industry explored the question: Talent shortage, gender imbalance, public defiance towards technology. Can science help us?
AENEAS marked International Women’s Day 2023 with a call to boost women’s participation in STEM, including in Research, Development & Innovation. With its partners EPoSS and Inside, AENEAS is organising a summer school Fascinating Electronics for a Cool World in Bertinoro, Italy to inspire and attract new talents in the European Electronics Components and Systems community.
AENEAS is today delighted to contribute to the European Chips Skills Academy while further strengthening the European competitiveness of the semiconductor indutry.