Taiwan Targets Global Talent to Address Semiconductor Workforce Shortage

Dressed in a white protective suit and face mask, 16-year-old Nicolas Chueh explored Taiwan’s advanced chip manufacturing facilities during a summer camp aimed at inspiring future semiconductor talent. The camp, organized by U.S. chip design software leader Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS), reflects Taiwan’s urgent push to address a looming workforce shortage in its most critical industry.

With Taiwan’s birth rate falling from over 210,000 in 2014 to about 135,000 in 2024, the supply of STEM graduates has dropped 15% in the same period, creating a widening gap in the semiconductor labor force. Job openings in the sector have surged from 19,401 in Q2 2020 to 33,725 in Q2 2025, according to 104 Corporation. Positions range from IC design engineers to assembly technicians—roles that are increasingly hard to fill domestically.

Synopsys has expanded its camps to include both Mandarin and English to attract overseas participants, charging T$33,000 ($1,103) for English programs and T$10,900 for Mandarin. “There is an urgent need to strengthen STEM education from an early age,” said Robert Li, Synopsys Taiwan chairman, noting potential plans to take the program abroad.

Other initiatives echo this effort. National Taiwan University has launched a global undergraduate semiconductor program, while TSMC supports exchanges with Germany’s Saxony state to bring foreign students for study and internships. Taiwan’s National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, backed by TSMC, is introducing chip science to children as young as 10 through interactive tools and games.

As the world relies heavily on Taiwan’s semiconductor giants—TSMC, MediaTek, and UMC—the island’s ability to sustain its talent pipeline is seen as vital to both economic security and global technology supply chains. For students like Chueh, the industry offers a promising future in the age of AI.